She's Me, and I'm Her
by Kyrios28Veile
Summary: His old name was forgotten, his people written off as a fairy tale. And after being the sole success of an old man's twisted dream, Jaune must forge his own path as an inevitable storm approaches the four known kingdoms. However, little does the world know, a fifth kingdom is about to make itself known. (Summary Rewrite)
1. 12 years prior

**Hello! My first RWBY story, please enjoy.**

* * *

Within the confines of a pure-chrome living space, an orphaned child continued to cry his eyes out for the kin he lost early that day. The only door to the outside opened for the third time, the same man walked in with another accompanying him. The man and his company observed the boy's recorded file, and his physical appearance.

"Mr. Schnee, the data says one thing, but from the looks of his recorded emotions on this young man, I don't think he'll react too well to our experiments."

"Prentiss, I feel the need to remind you; your job is to approve any, and I mean any, subject that passes the initial test. This child passed with flying colors, so we'll use one of the 'completed' betas. Besides, he just lost his entire family today, don't you think he'd love someone who will never leave him?" the white-haired Schnee smiled maliciously. The scientist by his side, having spent the bulk of his life around him, was unaffected of his old friend's ideals.

Prentiss only sighed, and called out to the guards outside to retrieve the boy. He struggled, biting and swinging his tiny fists violently. To no avail, the guards held him down tightly while a group of nurses injected sedatives to keep him calm, at least until he was prepped for surgery. The two men carried the boy's body away, Schnee and Prentiss not too far behind. As they reached the testing room, echoes of screams, and stains of blood on the walls grew from small dots to large splashes and dragging finger prints.

Finally, the large doors opened, revealing rows of beds stained with the blood of human and Grimm. Screams, howls, roars of agony drowned the young boy's ears. His ocean blue eyes weakly glanced to the left, a young man a bit older than him began twisting, screaming, his eyes changing violently, blood gushing from his mouth, the veins in his head pulsed to the point of bursting. And before he could glance away, the young man's heart gave way, abruptly.

He glanced to the white-haired Schnee, his dark blue eyes were hardened, and his smile didn't fade, though it was sadistic, and uncomfortably father-like. The two guards strapped him down to a clean bed, while two handlers brought out a baby Ursa and strapped it down to a bed next to him. He recognized the look on its face; fear. This Ursa cub was scared, and it didn't hesitate to cry, but it did so quietly. Both stared into one another's eyes, a mutual understanding.

The Schnee whispered between the boy and Ursa, "There is nothing to fear my children, accept each other, because from here on out, you will be one. Do so, and you will never be alone again. This, I promise you." The old Schnee's voice turned more sadistic by the second. Sadly, it was calming, and almost if out of experience. It soothed the boy and the Ursa, though only temporarily, out of fear.

"Mr. Schnee, we're about to begin, please stand back." A nurse, covered in sin, calmly told her leader as she began starting up a machine. The old Schnee stood back, and watched as the final test of the day was being conducted. The machine's large cry, just like those of the previous tests, was drowned by the cries of the boy and the Ursa. No one flinched, after a long day of these death songs, they became more like a disturbing lullaby. Behind their backs, Prentiss prayed, he begged Lord Monty to give the boy and the Grimm a chance.

And behold, the test went through with succession, the Ursa's soulless body was removed from the table, and the boy's barely damaged body was taken to the recovery room. The surgeons and scientists rejoiced at this success, their only success. The only one who didn't join them was Prentiss; instead, he and his recovery team treated the young boy.

* * *

A week passed, and finally, news of the child awakening reached the head office. Outside of the recovery room, the old Schnee met up with his lead scientist. "How is he, Prentiss?"

"He's fine Mr. Schnee. However, he seems to have amnesia. The poor child can't remember a thing about his past. Before you ask, when we leave him alone, he speaks, and someone responds; a girl's voice is all we can hear. Small conversations, 'who are you', 'what's your name'. It would seem that your experiment was a success, but do you think we can control him once he and his 'other self' perfect their powers?"

"Does it matter? We finally have a success, now; we keep repeating the same process until we reach our quota. I have one more assignment for you my old friend. Can I count on you?"

"Josef, my old friend, although I oppose your 'ideals', but my loyalty to your family will never cease. What is it you ask of me?"

"It requires your fatherly nature. I need you to abandon 'Prentiss Riescher', and take up 'Gael Arc'. I want this boy to be raised normally, just like any other child. Once he attends beacon, and believe me, we'll push him into it if we have to, I will personally make sure we drive his inner creature into unleashing their aura to the fullest extent. And when that happens, the Schnee family will finally take its rightful place above this dangerous world. We will be the safe haven for humanity."

Prentiss sighed heavily, he heard this plan over and over again, before, his old friends dream seemed more fantasy than reality. But now, within a short time span, the Schnee banner would surely by the only ruling force over the world.

"And what would be my 'son's' name?"

Josef's sadistic smiled grew wider. "His name is Jaune Arc."


	2. As the years go by

**hello! I'm quite surprised; I didn't think this story would be any good. I only assumed it would be like my other stories. Honestly, I didn't prepare to take this story serious. And well, I won't lie, lately I've had no internet, and when I have internet, I have projects and finals. Now, on to college, but I'm fresh with ideas for the story. Please forgive the long absence. I'd like to thank the readers who've waited this long, and I hope this story does not disappoint you. i shall update soon.**

Deep within the southern forests of Menagerie, lights of a forgotten city were the only welcoming beacons in this province. The sounds that emitted from the center were those of laughter, music and cheers. However, one man in particular had no interest in the festivities be held down below. His walk was sluggish and hardened, more so was his guilty mind. Finally, he reached the temple atop the mountain, and steeled himself for what would follow. Now his steps were masked with bravery and strength as he halted deep in the temple's chambers. He kneeled, and waited.

"Rise, Cerus."

He stood, though his head kept low. Two large crimson eyes shone past the darkened room. It's voice was gruff, but not too harsh.

"What news of the attack? Is the boy safe?"

"..."

"Lift your head, Cerus, and speak."

His head raised slowly, his eye lids opened, revealing a dark shade of ebony.

"The boy is fine; our informants in Atlas have found him in custody of the Schnee. But the city of Roma, its citizens, and the royal family are no longer with us." His fists tightened, remembering his failure was only half of what he feared. "But I have men willing and able, ready to storm their facility and take him back."

There was a small moment of silence, before the creature spoke again. "And how many of our brethren will die? The Schnee have shown that they are willing to do anything to keep the child in their hands. And is it really worth the risk to reveal our society to the influences of the outside world?"

"But master I-"

"Cerus! I know what that boy means to you, but we must act wisely. Call the chieftains; warn them of possible outside interference. Tell them to kill any outsider on sight, and, have your child start her training early. I have a mission for her."

"Yes, master."

"The time of peace is nearing its end, but, we will have our beacon to guide us through the storm. Of that, I can promise."

The next 5 years for the boy; Jaune Arc, were ones filled with solitude. He was tormented, and out casted from various groups. Many say it was because he was weak, others say it was his lack of appeal, though only the few who've actually driven his anger to a certain stage, say otherwise. After witnessing his other self, they would stay farther away from him, calling him a 'freak', while keeping what they saw a secret, as they were told to do. Lucky for them, Jaune could never recollect what happened during their encounters; all he can remember is waking up in his room covered in bruises.

Jaune's mother; Jade Arc, was always there to nurse the pain.

She would give fake smiles and hardly any emotion throughout the beginning of her assignment, but in time, her false emotions towards the boy became dangerous, motherly feelings. The pain he was in was no different than her own childhood, and so, she found familiarity in him. Slowly, she started caring for him the way any mother would, and was never one for expressing her emotions silently. It might've driven her to tell him the truth, though her loyalty to Josef was still above all else, for the time being.

Her state of mind was troubling. Still, her actions made the lie all the more convincing.

Prentiss began feeling the same way, the young man proved to be a gifted tactician. Given only a few minutes to observe a mission scenario, and finding an effective plan within a few minutes was to be well-admired.

Living in a rural settlement, one would think there would be close relations between the settlers. That was not the case here. Romdall was a indeed a large settlement, given it had a hospital, 3 schools, a military base, and rows of markets. Being one of the few settlements foolishly built so close to the Grimm forests, and its defenses were constantly under siege, yet always withstanding attack after attack. The Hunters within Romdall were all hired by the SPM (Schnee Private Military), each living with their families, and years of experience. Yet, little did they know, a plot involving their lives would soon come to light. And their years of experience could never prepare them for what would come to face them.

On a cool summer night, Prentiss carried Jaune up to his room after a long day of training. Yes, even at such a young age, he trained hard to become a hunter. With caution, as to not wake the sleeping child, Prentiss laid his son down, tucked him in, and retreated to the hallway. A small mumbling sound stopped him in his tracks; he turned to see the young blonde starting to wake up.

"The day is done, rest now."

With a smile imprinted on his lips, the young boy surrendered to the sandman's spell. Drifting off to a peaceful slumber, while his parents discussed their 'situation'

"What are we to do? Mr. Schnee can't keep all those who've seen 'her' quiet, eventually those children will tell their parents, and then those mothers will begin to gossip. They're going to have to move us soon. It wouldn't be so bad if the found someplace where at the very least one person would accept him."

"We've already been given the assignment. They've already set up a new place for us in the urban sections of Vale. By the end of summer, we'll have to be packed up ready to leave while they 'clean up'."

It only took Jade a few seconds to fully understand what 'clean up' meant in this situation. It didn't affect her, nor did it really matter anymore. In the outer settlements, tragedies were a common occurrence. Those who survived a single attack, whether it be; human, or Faunus, are fortunate enough to keep a level of sanity if possible.

The next morning, like any that didn't require training, Jaune wondered through the woods. Strangely, and just like the settlers, the Grimm kept their distance from him, as if it wasn't enough he was being avoided by his own people. Were it not for the ruthless attacks, and rising numbers, the Grimm were amazing creatures. In their own respect.

The forests that harbored them were beautiful, had anyone stop to enjoy the scenery for as long as he did. This one's lush vegetation makes life possible for many small Grimm. The only major ones to look out for were the Ursa and Beowulfs.

As he ventured deeper into the woods, he noticed a small figure lying down beneath a tree. The tall grass danced softly with the forest's gentle sigh, the small one's dark green hair joined the dance. A closer observation, Jaune noticed a small girl sleeping peacefully under the shade of the tree. Her porcelain skin covered with bandages and scars. A few moments staring down on her, he noticed something twitch within her hair. He flinched for a second, before his curiosity urged him to take a quick peak. His hands were about 2 inches away when two ears popped out. Small, round and very soft.

Jaune's eyes widened and a smile had come to light after this little discovery.

"So, you're a Faunus." He whispered.

Almost instantly, the small one's eyes shot open, causing Jaune to quickly retreat from his position. Instinctively, she drew a knife from her sleeve, and tackled Jaune to the ground. With a knife held tightly towards his neck, her emerald eyes glaring down on him. She gave off not a shade of innocence, but that of a hardened veteran.

"Wie geht es ihnen?! Woher kommen sie?!"*

*[who are you?! Where are you from?]

The positive point to this, she spoke the same language his father taught him. Now was a good time as any to see if he learned anything.

"Ich heiße Jaune Arc. Ich komme aus Romdall!*

*[my name is Jaune Arc. I'm from Romdall.]

Apparently, it was enough to have her slowly sheath her blade. Though, his pronunciation could use a bit more work as the girl barely made out what he was saying.

"Um, sprechen sie englisch?" she asked, while keeping her grip on the handle of her blade.

"Ja-I mean: yes, I speak English."

Now, the girl removed herself from atop of Jaune, stepping back a few feet while he stood up.

"What are you doing so deep into the forest; it's dangerous for a child to wander through here."

Jaune tilted his head in confusion. "Aren't you a kid too?"

"Don't get smart, brat! If I were you, I'd go back the way you came. The Grimm in this forest are more than enough for experienced hunters, and I have no time to deal with humans, especially children!" Her voice edged from annoyance to anger as she turned her back to him and began walking away. After a few feet, her legs began wobbling, and then, she collapsed.

-A cruel, yet so clear of a memory revealed crimson, and nothing but bloody crimson. The pavements and walls stained with the damned color. Even the sky wore its velvet finest for this occasion. The land around was soaked in a sea of red and fire. The only sounds to be heard were the never-ending gluttonous fires consuming loudly, and the screams of those being consumed by said fire and creatures of the shadows. Alone, in the midst of the flowing blood, stood a young girl, her clothes bathed in sin, weeping silently as the many monsters around her consumed. The sight was familiar, the sounds were the same, but the smell was not iron, ash, or rotting flesh. No, that smell was...-

The child awoke beneath the same tree she collapsed under. The aroma that broke her nightmare's spell came from the young blonde boy cooking in a small pot over a fire. He turned for a second, then completely as he saw her awake.

"Glad to see you've come back to the land of the living."

He poured half of the pot's contents within a bowl and handed it over to her, along with a spoon. She would've rejected had her stomach not immediately growled at the smell of the soup. Reluctantly, she received the food, and after taking a spoonful, she began gulping down rapidly. Finished within a few seconds, and her stomach satisfied with the added nourishment.

While Jaune served her another bowl, he took the opportunity to ask "So, where are you from? You're obviously not from around here. You speak the native language, but you have a foreign accent."

"For now, just call me Mishka, and before you ask anything else, I'll only say this once. I'm from the Novgorod Settlement."

"But, wasn't that settlement...?"

"Yes, it was. I'm...was traveling with a small group of mercenaries for hire to earn money. As a Faunus, life can be cruel if you allow yourself to be pummeled into the ground. So I decided to earn respect my own way. Unfortunately, people only see mercenaries as bloodthirsty lowlifes who'll kill anyone for money. It makes it worse if you're a Faunus mercenary."

For that very instant, Jaune averted eye contact, Mishka did the same. It was a full 30 seconds before the blonde spoke. "I'm sorry, I know life out here is hard, but I didn't expect to see kids my age fighting."

"Don't be, decisions like these are really common out here. You should know this by now. Besides, there are far worse things outside the Haven Zones than child soldiers. Now, back to MY question; why are you here?"

"I always explore the forest, though I've never gone this deep before. The Grimm here don't bother me as long as I leave them alone."

Interesting, someone who was never bothered by the Grimm regardless of being a human. By now, this young blonde had caught her interest. He'd yet to insult, nor show any disgust to the fact that she was a Faunus, and the Grimm apparently have no intention of harming him. Otherwise, they would've torn him to shreds before finding her. Perhaps, he could prove himself to be different, and hopefully, she could regain trust through him. Though, no high hopes at the moment.

**-Elsewhere, underground-**

A single figure sat comfortably while watching his favorite tool converse. From the shadows of the darkened room, another figure cautiously approached. "Sir, forgive me, I should've scanned the area thoroughly for her. I will clear my mistake at once."

But the old Schnee had other plans; his heart began singing of future chaos and madness. His smile, like before, did not fade. The cruel world for which he lived in was giving him more and more to finalize his lifelong goal.

"Hold that thought doctor; we might be able to use her to our advantage. Let them talk; we can rid ourselves of her later. I do enjoy watching our little tool smile once in a while. It is part of the plan, gentlemen. Do not lose hope, for soon we will finally correct the mistakes of our ancestors. Let us toast: to the end of the Grimm, human conflict, and our inevitable rise to power."

Eight hands entered the single space of light with a glass of wine in each hand. Josef raised his glass "Lassen den Schnee Wut auf."

"Hurrah!"

**-Romdall Forest-**

The two children walked through the less dense terrain of the forest, some Grimm were encountered, and oddly enough, all they did was stare at Jaune. They didn't go near him, some actually looked scared, the Beowulfs were the only ones to snarl then back away.

Mishka couldn't help but comment on the situation. "Wow, you weren't kidding. The Grimm really don't attack you, if this is the case, people probably feel safe around you."

"Not really."

Mishka's eyes turned slightly, the sadness within Jaune's response was too obvious to ignore. His ocean blue eyes were filled with familiar thoughts, and oddly, they looked as if they wanted to change color. The young blonde turned away for a second, pressing three fingers to the side of his head, it looked like he was having a headache, but he was mouthing 'stop'. After a minute or two, his headache seemed to cease, and his casual smile returned. It didn't fade as he explained his position among the youth in Romdall.

"People don't like me because I'm 'plain', and they tend to stay away from me for reasons even I can't fathom. There aren't many Faunus in Romdall, and the ones that live there tend to stay away from humans as much as they can."

"If I may say; for a kid, your vocabulary is really impressive. To be honest, I can't think of any reason why people would alienate you; from the time we've spent together you seem like a nice enough boy. Plus, you haven't made any rude comments over my ears, to me that speaks volume over a person. It's not every day I find at least one human who isn't a Faunus bigot."

Jaune stopped in his tracks, at first confusing the young girl, until she saw him frowning. "You keep saying human, and it's kind of weird. You're person too, right? It's not like you're a monster. If anything, I'd say you're cute."

Mishka's cheeks lit bright pink, and for that moment, she actually started to like this boy. Her initial reaction was annoyance, if not, interest solely in scientific experimentation. But now, she began thinking very highly of him. Still, there are some questions to be raised of his origins, mainly, if others in his family had similar luck when dealing with the Grimm.

As they approached the settlement outskirts, they halted upon hearing

"Stop!"

The voice originating from a scared girl within an encirclement of children, mostly boys. As the two got closer, they could hear the angered remarks made by the group.

"Stupid Roma! Go back to your own province!"

"You think you can just walk into our settlement, and expect us to forget the hell your ancestors put ours through!?"

"Get out of here!"

By then, they had started kicking, some with enough unfounded anger to punch.

Mishka, though used to the situation, frowned at the immoral action being performed before her.

'Humans, so predictable. They can't find satisfaction with just out casting the Faunus, but they divide themselves because of lineage.' Mishka thought to herself, watching not only the merciless beating, but the sudden intervention of single soul.

"Hey!"

One of the boys turned around, and was punched hard enough to fall, hitting the pavement. Jaune glared down his fellow youth, whilst bracing himself for what he knew would be a losing battle. "What the hell is wrong with you!? Picking on a girl like that, where's your honor!?" His voice bordered between the tones; anger and calm.

"Stay out of this Arc!" The leader of the small group of children approached with caution, as to not have another 'incident'.

"This doesn't concern you. Our fight goes way back before the Great War. Our people were constantly at war with her people, losing every single time! They stole food and made our ancestors beg for a portion of what was stolen to begin with! And now they come and beg for food and expect us to just forget!?"

Of course, little did the blonde pay to such ignorance, and struck the boy harder than the first.

"So you're on her side, huh? Get them both!"

Jaune glance to the girl on the ground, whispering "What're you waiting for? Run!"

With little hesitation, she got on her feet, and ran as fast as she could. Looking back plenty times to see her savior overpowered by the small group of children. Kicking was most preferred in this small brawl. And the number of attacks lessened for a moment, a single eye glanced up, and there was his new friend, holding her own. The actions of her friend drove her to intervene, without even thinking. Sadly, though brave their efforts, the two were almost quickly outmatched. Mishka, not wanting to cause any serious problems, kept her knife sheathed and fought hand to hand, something she had little experience with. Jaune, even with the constant training, could not allow himself to harm those whom he shared a home with, regardless of their actions, so he allowed his body to be an outlet for their bigotry. With small cuts and bruises clearly visible, and no sign of another incident occurring, the group finally decided to return to the village.

With very little energy, Mishka turned her head slightly to Jaune, and her eyes widened just a bit. For the blonde was smiling, bruised and a bit bloodied, yet smiling all the same. Why would he smile at a time like this, did they hit him too hard?

"You know..." Jaune's tired voice became a small whisper, yet, hearing him wasn't a problem for his friend.

"...i was hoping you wouldn't have to dash in here like that...the point of this was to only have ONE person take the fall."

"I don't know what it is about you, boy. But it wouldn't have felt right if I left you to suffer that crap alone."

Jaune's smile widened as he stared at the passing clouds, "then I guess I owe you one, right? And please, just call me Jaune."

"Of course, Mr. Arc. You can repay me by treating me to another of that soup you made in the forest."

Both shared first a laugh, then groan as the pain was a bit more than what they expected. Yet, they continued to laugh, regardless of the pain. Jaune's smile finally had more emotion in it than the first time he met Mishka. For once in those five years of solitude, there was someone who could be willing to stand by him as a friend.

he actually had something pleasant to talk bout with 'her'.

Speaking of which, his aura had already begun healing his wounds. The sudden glow of white caught Mishka's attention, being the first time she's actually seen a child as young as her, already able to use aura.

"You impress me every second. Next you'll tell me you have a some sort of rare semblance."

Again, they shared another small laughter, whilst Jaune muttered as quietly as he could "something like that."

Such happy times for a child, is to stand by friends. Bonds of childhood friends were indeed the hardest to break, even in these times of racial hate and bloody violence, there are still small lights of hope that come in the form of innocence. Sadly, not all of these lights can shine for such a long time. And by the end of summer, it became apparent in the most common manner in the outer settlements.

It started as a Schnee plan to commit mass murder during an annual festival that, ironically, celebrated life. But ended with an unexpected attack from overwhelming forces of Grimm performing in strategic attacks. Leaving the hunters and soldiers at a great disadvantage. Within a single hour, Romdall lit the sky with ash and crimson. The small concrete roads ran rivers of bloody and bullets.

A lone figure stood amongst carnage and flames, smiling, and devouring. Greedily, he feasted on the flesh of poor souls who encountered him, killing without discretion. His jaw line, arms, and chest were drenched in crimson, blackened eyes stained with insanity, and a sinister grin that frightened even the Beowulfs around him. Pacing calmly towards Jaune, he uttered very clearly,

"We give birth to sin, curse many, bless few, and devour all. We are; the Oni." He stood in front of the injured blonde, kneeling to face him. It was not only fear that engulfed the young child's very mind, but the long forgotten feeling of an eerie safety and familiarity. The man continued, his grin wider than before, "You and I, are the same. Look before you at the death around and tell me if a voice within your subconscious does not beg you to devour like me. Listen to that voice, reach out for it. Connect with your inner self, and release that power. Devour, kill, destroy, it does not matter in what order, it all points to what you are. My little Va-"

"Jaune!"

The man's ebony eyes glanced towards Mishka, and Jaune's mother running towards them.

"I'm afraid we'll have to cut our meeting short. Bear in mind, Jaune, you and I are the very sin of humanity; the questions you shall ask will arise very soon. And when the time arrives, I will tell you everything you want to know. But you must be the one to call for me, and when you do, you may call me: Cerus."

Quickly, he threw himself back to avoid a swung blade, the bearer glaring him down.

"It's good to see you too, Mrs. Arc. You've done a fine job raising him. He will make an excellent soldier soon, quite possibly a leader. If that happens, I truly will enjoy having him take his rightful place, In the kingdom he rightfully belongs in!"

Jade only bared her teeth, steadying her blade for any try. "Mishka, get Jaune out of here."

"But-"

"Go! leave the settlement, quickly!"

With little haste, she picked Jaune up, and did her best to help him run. Like any other child he was reluctant to leave his mother in this situation, but had little strength to resist. Once they were out of hearing distance, Jade slightly lowered her blade. "I don't know _what_ you are, but leave the boy be! I won't allow him to be anyone's tool. Especially yours, Cerus!"

The smile became an eerie scowl. "I see. You've become attached to the child, and you're even willing to put your life on the line for him. Though I admire your love for a monster such as him, I'm afraid my superiors have other plans for him. And you, sadly, are not in the picture..."

Jaune's eyes widened, daring to look back, he saw a hand pierce his mother's stomach. Cerus's grin had vanished, and a blood thirsty anger took over. From where the blonde boy stood he heard very clearly.

"Watch boy, and remember this moment!" From the corner of her eyes, Jaune's mother shed tears as she was about to leave her adoptive son to a cruel world, and a possible bloody future. Her killer leaned over, whispered in her ear, and then devoured.

Jaune watched as his mother was...slowly consumed by the very monster that destroyed his home. Said creature was now surrounded by the beasts that brought upon this onslaught; his laughter drowned the howls of the Beowulfs that plagued the weakened settlement. The cries of anguish and fear were mere whispers to the destruction around them.

7 years pass, and change in Remnant was never pleasant. Blood flows farther than the longest rivers, and cries of pain replace the crickets and howls of the night. Of course, this was only for those who lived past the Haven zones. The more protected cities receive complains of overpopulation and rapid drop of supplies. The Grimm were increasing in population size, and the cause is yet to be known. Investigations were all met with failure, and costly losses.

Apart from losing his mother at an early age, and having witnessed firsthand the chaos in Romdall. Vale wasn't so bad, but then again it wasn't paradise. The city lights made star gazing confusing. Mainly for trying to set apart the stars from the lights of an airship. The police sirens were heard almost every hour, and the treatment of Faunus were worse here. Some were even killed in broad daylight, and none would give a second glance.

"Ain't life in Vale grand?" Jaune mumbled while retreating into his house. His father was asleep on the couch, and like all ways, stressed out from work. People in Romdall once told stories of how much better life in the Haven zones were.

Well, after spending a fair amount of time in the City, the rural lifestyle was the preferred environment. Though, the decision was not in his hands, no matter how much he begged his father to go back home and help with the reconstruction, life in Romdall was no longer an option given to him.

The school he attended, gave the same treatment he received back home. Some showed sympathy, being a survivor from the outside and losing his mother at so early an age. However, sad as it was, it wasn't uncommon for people to hear similar stories from other transfer students.

There was, on the other hand, someone to help him through the hardened years: Katerina, Jaune's more active conscious, was always present during all his hardships. No one knew she existed, but as Jaune trained harder, his increase in aura allowed her to project herself if only for a short time. Although hearing her voice when she was young, the people involved in Josef's project still had no physical image of Jaune's 'other' half.

But to the scraggly blonde, he knew her down to every detail. Long ebony hair, skin as dark as an Ursa's fur, eyes of lustful cardinal, and always with Grimm-like exoskeleton armor. If there was such a thing as a human-Grimm hybrid, none could be more relative than what Katerina showed. Her personality, however, was far from that of a savage and bloodthirsty monster. Her impulses, though childish in plain view, showed how much she cared. And often, she'd take control of Jaune's body just to put a good pounding on any who've ever bullied him. People were mostly scared for the fact that the boy's ocean blue eyes would change to red every time she took over, and the sudden increase in physical strength piled on the reasons people averted their attention from him. It wasn't always her pulling the strings, at times the she'd flow most of her own power unto to Jaune during class tests. None knew why he underwent this sudden change during practice training, but it did earn him high marks, and unwanted reputation.

If her actions could be named, it would be: an overprotective younger sibling.

For 7 years, their secret was well hidden from the world. But now, Jaune was headed to his final mark: Beacon. Admission wasn't the problem, it was what followed. Initiation.

Every student took the same entrance exam, being launched into a forest full of Grimm, and retrieving relics. Over the years, the Grimm grew less hostile towards him, some even approached him during his training in Forever Fall.

Well, there was no longer any time for doubt; this was what he planned for his entire life. And at this very moment the only problem was: motion sickness. Being raised in a rural home, one has less tolerance towards any kind of machinery involving aviation.

When the airship finally docked, the poor blonde stumbled off. His vision was groggy, and feet nearly gave way had there not been a trash can to help with the nausea. After puking most of his breakfast away, he made his way to the large building that he would call his new home for the next few years. His first few steps were met with a large explosion near the courtyard.

The source led to an argument of a fairly young girl in red getting scolded by a white and dusty girl. The two were making quite a scene, mostly the one in white. He could approach and try to settle the fight, but something about the girl in rage made him feel angered for some reason. It wasn't much her attitude, but just something so obvious. Before he could walk their way, another party stepped in and drove the one in white away.

There was that itching feeling; curiosity, that just made him want to find out why he felt such anger towards someone he never met. Again, before he could advance further in his endeavor, his attention was caught by the girl in red who apparently had fallen down.

"Well, isn't this school just full of life already?"

He mumbled to himself while making his way towards her. After getting a closer look at her, she was really cute, and oddly, had a very young face.

"Hey." She looked up to see a blonde knight offering his hand. "Need some help?"

From a distance away, a certain figure was watching the child in red from the beginning, but as Jaune entered the picture; her curiosity blindly pushed her approach. Once within hearing range, she could hear their introductions,

"I'm Jaune Arc."

"My name's Ruby Rose."

The figure approaching halted almost instantly upon hearing the blonde's name. Her attention was now directly towards him, unaware of the single tear forming on her left eye. How much time passed, so many things to say but where to start. Before she had her chance, Ruby noticed her and was about to call out before she quickly pulled her hood over her head and walked away.

"What's wrong?"

"I could've sworn that girl was going talk to you."

Jaune turned around, but she had disappeared. "What girl?"

Ruby was just as confused as he was. Suddenly, an important memory came up. "Orientation!"


	3. And so the Allies come to pact

**-Atlas, Schnee Dust Research Headquarters- **

Walls, clean and white, seemingly endless. Once echoing with cries of anguish and pain masking the howls of Grimm and machinery, now quiet. The rooms filled with only talks of developments of weapons and defense systems for transports. In a way, there was really no change to what goes about in this underground facility.

Josef Schnee sat before his old friend, along with several other benefactors.

"Jaune has entered Beacon, exactly as planned. And we've completed a sufficient number of Leviathans, a more superior model to that of the Atlesian Paladin. The White Fang is currently doing its job in all four kingdoms; creating havoc and stealing great amounts of our dust shipments. On top of that, calculations on the dust mining reports give us exactly two months to have everything prepared. The time has finally arrived, come this winter, the Schnee banner will be the only insignia this world will know." The men around him, with the exception of Prentiss, applauded over the joyful news. A dream that took almost 12 years to keep from falling apart was now nearing completion; all that was left was to push Jaune to the final stage of his evolution. Josef turned to the screens behind him and gazed upon the soon to be greatest accomplishment of his life. A promise he could finally complete, and a world he would mold to achieve perfection.

"Mr. Schnee, I must ask, what of the creature that dwells within him, how will you deal with it? From what I understand, it is said to be more dangerous than the Grimm." One of the men within his inner circle asked. The smiles of the others soon turned to worried expressions, they waited for a response.

"I have been planning for this since the day that boy was born. I know exactly what cards to play when he comes to challenge me. I know his heart, because it was forged with my hands." He replied with a reassuring grin. With small amounts of doubt still within these men, they continued to march with Josef.

Said man was disturbed by the silence of his old friend. "This meeting is adjourned. The next time we meet shall be the promised day." With that, each man arose and left with eerie smiles imprinted on their faces. But Prentiss remained, just as Josef had hoped. He sat beside his friend, and spoke "Something is clouding your thoughts, speak to me. Whatever troubles you have, I am here to listen."

Prentiss shifted his eyes, then he pulled out his scroll. What appeared was the family picture he took before the Romdall incident. "For almost 12 years, I've had to live this lie. I know what my role has been in this endeavor, but I don't feel comfortable sacrificing a boy with his potential for a fairy tale you found carved on the wall of an ancient temple in southern Vale."

"Prentiss, I too, once, shared similar fear of this project. However, we've both witnessed firsthand the society those 'fairy tales' described."

At this, he frowned "No, we destroyed every trace of it."

"We did what needed to be done, and you were with me every step of the way. Their blood stains you just as much as it does me. Your thoughts are starting to worry me. Will you stand with me still, or will you become a liability?"

Prentiss fixed his glasses, and turned his back on Josef before replying "I've said it before, I do not approve of your actions in the slightest. But that doesn't mean my loyalty towards you will waver. Now that my assignment is done, I'm off for some rest with my real family."

Josef's grin wavered slightly; half of what his friend said was true. So, now the plan would stagger a bit if he left this to chance. It was too late to back out; every liability had to be cut off now. It was all for the greater good.

Or so he kept reminding himself.

Now that there was solitude, he made sure to lock the doors, and had his personal AI shut off the cameras.

"Well then, on to my next meeting." Josef removed a trademark mask from the inside of his coat. Once he placed it on, the screen flickered on. The other end showed a green hooded figure, with the top half of her face covered. The background was a grey room littered with blood and bodies. Without saying a word, the camera shifted to a greater pile of bodies, corpses of former members to one very particular group.

Josef, pleased at another job well done, complimented the mercenary "Ah, I see you've found the traitors in Vacuo. I am impressed. More so, how you handled them."

The figure came back to the camera's line of vision. "And my money?"

"Of course, 100,000 lien has been just been transferred into your account."

A slight frown shaped itself on the figures lips. "We agreed on 200,000."

"Yes we did, but I am in desperate need of your skills once more. I have one assignment, but do not fret, it is a single target."

"And why would you, Brutus: the leader of the White Fang, need a lone assassin for a single target?"

Josef's eerie smile returned, the screen showed a picture of the intended target, and a small list of names. "This is her; Blake Belladonna. The list of her victims; a rather small number, but there is one below that I think might catch your attention."

The hooded figure enlarged the list, a short gasp escaping her lips, but not unnoticed. Her hands trembled, for at the bottom of the list, a single name that tore heart with agony.

"According to my informants, you've used a large amount of lien trying to find this young man. I don't know why you would search for human, but I'm not one to judge the people I work with. Normally, I'd send a more experienced assassin, however when this human's name came up I knew sooner or later you'd discover the truth, your emotions would force you to go after the girl. And if my assassin and you would clash swords in an attempt to kill her, well she might get away. This mission will benefit us both, so kill her along with any acquaintances, and I will add an extra 50,000 lien. She is attending Beacon, in Vale. Can i trust you with this?"

The figure's head rose to the point where her emerald eyes reflected what little light the room had. Josef's smile grew wider, her eyes showed how much bloodlust grew within her being. Just the malice within her for which he could decipher had his wretched heart singing.

"I'll send you her in pieces."

The screen flickered off, the old Schnee chuckled softly to himself. A small lie, but with a large impact.

"Sir?" A small female hologram appeared beside him as he sat down to rest. "Isn't the subject: Jaune Arc, also attending Beacon? What if the assassin discovers this?"

"Many possible outcomes, but I always have my contingencies."

"Sir, may I ask; why do this at all? What is your objective?"

Oh the beauty of that question, it was just as beautiful as answering it. The thought of his plans made Josef as impatient as a child in Christmas. His trademark smile grew ever wider, scaring the supposedly emotionless AI.

"Let me begin with a quote; _in order for a new world to be born, the old must be completely erased._ Do you know why the humans are on a losing battle against the Grimm? It is because of the Hunters. We send small squadrons of them against impossible odds, and they produce little to no results at the cost of their own. Of course Atlas has the idea of sending in robotics instead of men, but I wouldn't trust my life to a pile of scrap metal. Then comes the big question; what If we mass create a new power source to fuel our wars rather than use dust. That power source, in this case; Plasma, surpasses both tracer, and dust rounds. However, these new weapons would only inspire more war. So, my plan is to awaken the ancient Grimm that lays dormant within the boy. Once that creature creates havoc on the world, the Schnee forces will drive the monster and the Grimm back to the crevice from which they came. Remnant, torn apart by a bloody world war, will look to us as their beacon of hope. Hmm, then again, I do love the sounds of gunfire...burning buildings, soldiers shouting orders, valiant battle cries quickly silenced by a rather large projectile. The screams of innocents running for their lives, the wails of pain and agony. It's a symphony, the greatest masterpiece of man! Humanity was born for war; it's the single act that brings out our true nature. And I look forward to the day when all of Remnant is mine to mold."

**-Vacuo, location unknown- **

After her scroll shut off, the figure dropped to her knees, her hand trying in vain to keep in the small sobs escaping. Tears ran heavily down her reddened cheek, feelings of anger and regret collided with one another.

"I failed." Her voice drowning in regret, muttered these words. "I'm sorry, Jane. I couldn't keep him safe."

She turned on her scroll, the background showed three children with wide grins. A photo taken long ago, when there was once a chance of washing away some of the blood that stained her. But, nothing good ever lasts, especially good people. Yet, after searching for so long, all the blood she spilled just to find him, it was all in vain.

The image of her current target fueled her malice, her only desire was to kill, no erase this girl. Her hands were already drenched in blood, what does one more kill matter?

She recovered her blade from the head of one of her victims, upon entering the next room, she found a Beowulf eating the rotting flesh that fouled the air. It approached her slowly, sensing the change in its master's emotions.

"We're leaving again, Vólkova. I'm sorry, but our old friend has left us." Her hands gently stroked the Beowulf's mouth, it whimpered slightly. Almost like it knew what she was saying. "But do not cry just yet. We'll avenge him, soon. Very soon."

**-Beacon, Night time in the Grand Hall-**

After the speech provided by the headmaster, the weary students made their way towards the grand hall. Boys slept on one side, girls on the other. While most of the guys slept without a top, Jaune preferred keeping the markings on his torso and back a nice little secret. They'd bring all sort of unwanted attention, and to him all they do was bring up painful memories. A nice white top, accompanied with blue pants. He picked a corner spot, simple, but comfortable enough to sleep if not for the noisy bunch on the other side of the room. From what he could see, it was Ruby, and few other faces he remembered from earlier. It was a nice sight...in a way. Ruby, though awkward and somewhat childish, showed potential as a student. By the looks of things, she also seemed pretty sociable, apart from her earlier complains in the courtyard.

Still. They could keep their voices down, people were trying to sleep. And tomorrow would be a very long, if lucky enough, uneventful day. All the pressure of keeping at least one of his powers a secret was bad enough, but being thrown into a forest filled with Grimm was like being thrown into a flat land filled with land mines. He heard rumors that not only were they to be assign partners, but the headmaster would be observing them. So, if something were to occur, such as: Katerina taking form or the Grimm treating him in their usual manner, then front page news and scientific experimentation would be the least of his problems.

These haunting thoughts, along with the gory memories from his past, sleeping was damn near impossible. So, he did what he would always do to calm his nerves.

An old friend from his past taught him how to sneak about both quietly and unseen. He used those skills to carefully leave the grand hall to grab some fresh air outside. Unfortunately for him, two pair of eyes caught him leaving. One followed the moment he left, the other pursued out of curiosity.

The roof of the school was a good choice for getting fresh air; it gave a great view of the city. But what captured Jaune's attention was the forest opposite of the city. He could see the glistening reflection of the moon's light off the rivers and waterfalls from the mountain sides. By shutting his eyes and focusing very carefully, he could hear the howls of Beowulfs, along with much more faint howls answering from afar. It was a nostalgic feeling, beautiful yet heartbreaking at the same time. So much time passed, how many people managed to stay alive still?

He inhaled deeply, enjoying the fresh air, and picking up an odd but familiar smell. His eyes shot open, and a genuine smile managed to form itself for the first time since Romdall. "Mishka trained us to the bone, but sneaking about was never your strong suit. Right, Vesta?" As he turned to face his company, she removed her hood. Braided silver hair ran past her shoulders. Her dark violet eyes reflected the light from the crest moon. A black hooded jacket covering her scarlet top and black pants. Emerging from her hair two canine ears. Her smile was also genuine, and wider than his. "I'm surprised you remembered after all this time. How did you know it was me?"

"When it comes to stealth, you have the basics down, but you're breathing is slightly heavy when you're close to your target. Just like earlier today. But the dead giveaway, that sweet smell of Jasmine."

Without warning, Vesta hugged the blonde knight. "I thought you were gone. After the attack, I feared the worst...I..." Her voice nearly at the point of breaking. Jaune returned the embrace; Lord Monty finally gave him hope. Perhaps not all was lost after the attack, maybe even Mishka survived as well. Only time would decide if they should meet again, whether in this life or the next. But for now, he focused his attention on his sobbing friend. This moment was a gift, and he was going to enjoy it.

After a while, they finally separated, the upper half of Jaune's shirt was drenched. She apologized continuously, but he dismissed it as a natural reaction. Nevertheless, they continued their conversation. His stories couldn't compare to hers, after the Romdall incident, she traveled through many areas of Northern Vale. In the 7 years of separation, she spoke of increasing Schnee influence in most of the kingdom, and the sudden assassinations of key political figures in Atlas, and Vacuo. The highlight of her story was being attacked by a group of anti-Faunus humans, close to being captured had it not been for a silver haired man with a cane and coffee mug.

"Wait, the headmaster? He came to your aid?"

Vesta nodded and stared toward the sky. "It was confusing to say the least, but I took advantage of the distraction and beat a portion of them down. The headmaster said my moves were a bit sloppy, but with the right teaching, I could become an even greater fighter. And that's when he asked me to join his school."

"Funny, I can't help but feel like you aren't the only one. In any case, I'm glad you're here. We can train, and grow strong together. Just like old times."

Vesta smiled and nodded, all the while, her instincts kept nudging her to investigate the doorway. Someone else was watching them, no movement nor sound. Observation was its only objective. Jaune noticed the other presence as well, yet he ignored it up till now.

"Hey, whatever your name is, you can come out? I won't bite...she might." He pointed to Vesta, whilst flinching to her threatening fist.

"Hey!"

A small giggle escaped the hiding student's mouth, so much for stealth. She emerged from shadows, wearing a kimono for sleeping garments, a black ribbon atop her head, and amber eyes. She approached cautiously at first; Jaune on the other hand had no problem walking up to her. "Nice to meet you, I'm Jaune Arc. What's your name?"

"Blake Belladonna." She mumbled softly. There was a small moment of silence between the two before a third part decided to speak up.

"I'm Vesta Venezia." Said the silver haired girl clinging to the blonde's arm.

Blake was a bit surprised at first, she didn't expect to see a human and Faunus as friends so quickly after being enrolled. Though, their history together apparently goes farther than just meeting today. Granted she herd most of their conversation. Her focus was mainly on the blonde boy, how anyone was able to detect her presence when she was 'observing' was well to be questioned. Yet she could feel a small sense of dangerous aura emitting from Vesta.

"So, while we're here why don't you tell us a bit about yourself? There's no reason we can't be friends, right?"

She fidgeted slightly; this was a first for her. Being a Faunus, and with her history, she didn't expect to be friends with a human. Every time she tried speaking, something held her words back. Jaune noticed, and decided to help ease her tension.

"Why don't I go first, just to break the ice? I was born in a settlement south east of the kingdom's shore. I grew up here in this city since I was 11. My hobbies.., well, I don't have many. But I do enjoy reading, peaceful hikes, and training. My techniques..."

Blake was taken back, was he really going to reveal his powers to someone he just met?

"...are a secret." He finished with his trademark smile. Blake's cheeks changed to a light shade of pink. Again, a third party got in the middle of them, literally. "I, too, was born in the same settlement Jaune was. When I was 10, my family moved to Volcanium. I spend most of my time researching medicinal herbs, and sleeping."

"See, you know a little about us. Now, do you want to share a bit?" Jaune's voice was mellow, though it did waver just slightly when he mentioned his birthplace. It got her curiosity because he didn't mention a name. Almost as if he was trying to hide something or whatever happened was too painful to bring up. Either way, Blake decided to share, seeing it was only fair. "I don't remember where I was born, but i grew up as an activist for Faunus rights, going on almost every march before the more malicious White Fang appeared. I do enjoy reading, and tuna. There is one question I hope you won't mind answering."

"And that would be?"

"How were you able to detect me?"

A question he handled before, many times actually. This particular skill was something that couldn't be spoken of lightly, especially since it was entrusted to him many years ago. To add to it, there was something she was clearly hiding. Her eyes would avert any moment she felt too comfortable, and was a bit suspicious of his friendship with Vesta. Given only a few moments to read her, Jaune discovered something about Blake that didn't need words to be spoken. She had the same look in her eye. There was no innocence within her; she grew up just like any other child in the outer settlements. Always cautious of their surroundings, no time for fun, friends and family dying every moment. Her sneaking skills could only be part of her testimony to how much blood was probably on her hands. The fact that she was here as a student could mean she was seeking redemption for her actions. Still, it only meant that her mind is used to many forms of deception. So, no lie he used before would work on her. A new idea had to be thought of, one that needed to best her ability to see through it, but also something no warrior from the outer periphery would expect. A sudden thought came to mind, and a smile widened itself.

"Tell you what; let's go to bed before we're caught up here. Tomorrow, after the teams are formed, we'll have a match. If you best me, I'll answer any questions you have."

"And if you win?" Blake asked.

"You owe me...a date."

This did catch her off guard. The sudden blush on her cheek was proof of it. Just as Vesta was about to object her thoughts about the sudden turn of events, footsteps from down stairs could be heard getting louder.

"Scatter." Was all Blake heard before discovering her company had just disappeared, with nary a sign or sound. Just as the door was opening, she made haste and jumped down to one of the window perches below. Thankfully the window itself was open, light on her steps, she eluded the figure, which was now descending towards the grand hall, and literally dove straight into her sleeping bag. The door opened slightly, then closed after a few minutes.

The deal seemed easy enough; beat him up, and get a few answers out of him. But after that last trick, she began wondering if it would be so easy. Still, now it would actually be worth her trouble.

Nearby, Ozpin sat in his office, watching the footage from both the hallways, and the roof. A proud smile imprinted on him while watching the new abilities of the students arriving. "It will certainly be an eventful year. Wouldn't you agree, Cerus?"

From the shadows nearby, emerged a familiar face. His smile, not of insanity, but of warmth. He removed his hood, for which his ebony eyes and dark brown hair had not yet accustomed to light, revealed a few notable scars. "I see you haven't forgotten me Ozpin. It's good to see you old friend."

"Did you come because of the boy? Has the old Schnee decided to make his move already?"

"Yes, their plans are being pushed forward, and now so have ours. We must be prepared for that day. Ozpin, will you not come with us when the time comes?"

Ozpin rose from his chair, placing down his coffee, and turning to see his old friend. "No, I'm going to be needed here. Besides, I have someone special to me. I can't leave her behind, and we both know she wouldn't adjust to living amongst your people."

Cerus smiled for a second, and then faded as he detected an incoming company. "Speak of the devil; I must be on my way. Farewell, my young pupil."

Cerus' figure quickly dissolved just as the door opened, revealing his assistant. "Professor Ozpin, I heard someone in here with you. Are you alright?"

"Not to worry Glynda, I was merely reminiscing." The headmaster of Beacon shared a smile of both worry and joy. This peaceful age was going to experience a dark time in its history, and the Beacon to shine its way back to the beauty of peace, was the single blonde child and his hidden power. So many burdens to be left in the hands of a single soul, at such a young age. Then again, he wasn't any older than the rest of the veteran Hunters when they began their 'mission'. The plan was set, and the pawns are nearing the end of their role. All that was left; wait for the promised day.

**-Beacon, Locker room- **

Many of the first years readied themselves for the initiation; some carried heavy, others packed light. Jaune and Vesta had been arming up when Blake approached them, her face stern, yet still filled with curiosity. "I accept." She declared with a small blush.

Jaune rose from the bench, and offered his hand "It's a deal then." Blake shook it once, though she still had her doubts, maybe this boy would be worth getting to know as a friend. However the aura emitting from his friend was somewhat worrisome.

Jaune opened his locker, his own weapon inside, along with an added surprise. A sword; simple blue handle, golden cross-guard, and surprisingly light. Same went for some sort of wrist attachment, though upon pressing a button, it formed a shield. Along with a note within beside his personal weapon:

_Jaune, _

_To be honest, I was hoping to give this to you in person, but I can't at the moment. These are my gift to you. They belonged to your mother. Things are changing so rapidly, more than you can imagine. Please, be safe until I can come for you. And whatever you do, use Katerina's powers as less as possible. I promise to answer any question you have for me, just keep this between us. If you cannot trust me, can you trust Ozpin?_

_Until we meet, your uncle,_

_C._

Jaune couldn't be more confused than he was now, more shocking that someone actually knew about his other self. The confusion came from the idea of extended relatives reaching out to him. His parents told him they lost their families early in their lives, but here someone actually picked his locker and left him weapons belonging to his deceased mother, and why was the head master involved? And the 'C', what did it stand for? The only person he knew that had a C in their name was...'him'. That man from long ago. The mere thought sent an immense pain to his head. So much he wobbled just slightly, yet just enough to trip and balance. Crashing into an already stressed white-haired girl. Vesta and Blake managed to help the boy up, whilst the girl was assisted by a red-haired beauty. "What is your problem?!" Jaune's attention finally snapped back, but now he'd have to deal with an already angry girl. He knew a girl's anger wouldn't settle so quickly, and he honestly didn't want to make enemies on his second day. "I'm sorry; I was just a bit distracted."

"You think!?"

"Hey!" Vesta interjected. "He apologized didn't he? Don't get so worked up princess!"

"It's heiress actually. Her name is Weiss Schnee." Ruby arrived after seeing her friend trip over. A small glare aimed at the Schnee girl.

"You again!?" The heiress was none too pleased with having to see the same dolt from last night and early that day, but she was literally taken down by some idiot who has cold feet. Anyone could tell she was pissed and could've expressed her emotions loudly, had a blonde not immediately intervened. "Alright! I'm sorry Ms. Schnee. I'll admit, and take the fault for my actions, so why don't we just agree to leave it at that before there's unnecessary tension between us." His voice matched his expression in both seriousness and somewhat calm tone. Yet, what caught the heiress' attention were the boy's blue eyes shifting colors.

Although curious of what could occur next, she merely huffed and walked away. The red haired girl not far behind, though her eyes fixed on the blonde knight.

As the two left, Jaune reverted his attention back to the note. Something didn't feel right, why were any outside relatives reaching out now? And if this 'C' was in fact; Cerus, what would he want with him? If the bloodshed in Romdall wasn't enough, then perhaps he was returning for more. The way he and his pets took down the heavily fortified settlement, Vale would fall. It would put of one hell of a fight, but no doubt it would fall. And even if Jaune could 'handle' his pets, would people see him as a hero, or some monster?

"Jaune?" Blake called out, returning him back to reality. Four pair of eyes were waiting for some sort of reaction. He folded the note, and stuffed it in his pocket. There would be a time to worry of approaching danger, but for now, he'd focus on his friends. He smiled and gestured to the exit "Well, it's time for some fun. You girls ready?" The reply was a simple nod and smirk from each girl. As they left the locker room, he assured himself to have a rather long talk with the headmaster. If he truly was someone to trust, then he could shed some light on this situation.

**-Beacon Cliffs-**

While the headmaster gave the instructions, Jaune readied himself for the launch. The man in question was lecturing the students over security cameras and no help from any of the staff. This would worry him, but as he took his place with the other students, Ozpin have him a small gesture. The idea that Ozpin was connected to Cerus made him question the idea of trust, but for now he had no other alternative to turn to for answers. His father didn't answer his calls, and even if he did, the man always answered his questions with riddles or quotes. Just this once, ONCE, Jaune would trust his secret with Ozpin. He turned to Vesta, worried over what her outcome would be if she involved herself in this.

"Any questions?" Ozpin asked while waiting for the floor panels to launch.

"One, sir. Does it matter how we land?" Jaune's voice a bit edging close to feminine. In truth he was scared out of his mind of being thrown by some machine high in the air, but it wasn't just the 'flying with style' that had him completely freaked out.

"However you see fit, mister Arc. Just try not to make much of a scene; you'd likely draw the attention of the Grimm."

Without a chance for a second question, they were launched.

The feeling of rushing wind was one perk worth gliding hundreds of feet over a forest infested with Grimm. But, heights would be the least of his problems, and sadly, his strategy for landing was...messy.

While the students landed in a more safely and artistic manner, he decided to land the easiest way. He enveloped himself in aura, and dived head on into the forest, creating a large column of smoke, and leaving a nice big crater.

"Hmm...subtle." Ozpin commented while switching to the many cameras placed in the forest.

Emerging from the smoldering aftermath of a 'landing' strategy, Jaune's aura dimmed as he cleaned the dust and twigs from his cloths. "I don't care if it's a last resort, we're never doing that again." He mumbled annoyingly. Scanning the area, he couldn't detect any Grimm nearby. The blast was enough to scare away any curiosity in them, and no student with common sense would approach this area. Well, depending on their curiosity and the student that emerged from the forest was quite the surprise. It was the red haired girl from the locker room; she stared at the crater, then to him. The grin on her face didn't change the whole walk to him.

"I don't think I caught your name." Jaune asked.

"Pyrrha Nikos."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Jaune Arc. It seems we've made eye contact so I guess that makes us partners."

Just then, a loud howl from deep within the north forest. On normal circumstances, even a first year in Beacon would be startled, but the blonde knight only smiled and listened closely to the bellows. "You hear that? An Ursa group is migrating through the forest. Judging by the number of growls that followed the first, they'll probably be where there's a large body of water. It's best we avoid the path near the streams."

"How do you know that?"

He stopped for a second, the damn fool nearly giving away one of his secrets. Luckily for him, he'd been in this situation before so a lie came natural. However this wasn't just a regular hunter school anymore, so he told the truth...ever so slightly. He turned to her and replied "you could say its instinct."

The two partners walk away, only one unaware of a few pairs of eyes observing them from afar. Pyrrha had her spear and shield ready for any unexpected visitors, but her partner walked with ease. One question after another kept bugging her, the main one was; why wasn't he at all worried, and how could he tell the presence of not just one, but a group of Ursa. Another thing that had her curious was his answer to her first question: instinct. There weren't many hunters who could track Grimm movements, and if they could, it wouldn't be so precise or on a large scale. Yet once they reached a higher vintage point, a small column of Ursa could be seen heading south of the forest. Pyrrha couldn't help but be amazed, and when she turned to him, he was smiling as the Grimm went about their lives. Again, there was another trait about him that stood out, but all in all it still had her fascinated. Some hunters would want to dive into the unexpected herd and blindly kill as many Grimm as he could. Others would flinch at the mere site of seeing such large number of Ursa.

Another five minutes into their walk and more howls could be heard, this time followed by explosions and from two directions. Pyrrha awaited her partner to give his insight on how to proceed.

He closed his eyes, and focused carefully. "Two groups: Ursa and Beowulf...it would seem our classmates are engaging in battle."

"Should we assist?"

Just as he was about to reply, another large boom echoed through the forest. But this one was too close. "Pyrrha!" Jaune managed to tackle Pyrrha before an Ursa, flying right out of the forest, landed exactly where she was standing. Debris made up of destroyed trees and unearthed stones littered the ground. From the small scattered remains of the trees, Jaune emerged, Pyrrha still laying down trying to hide the small blush on her face. Luckily for her, Jaune's attention was more on the dead Grimm and were it came from. He offered his to his downed partner, the two dusted off any remaining debris whilst another blonde and her partner emerged from the forest.

"Sorry about that, you two ok?" Yang and her partner ran over to them, their handiwork twitching slightly before dying.

"We're fine, just control how you handle the Grimm, you could've attracted more them to us."

And just as he ran his mouth, from behind him appeared not one, nor three, but almost 2 dozen Ursa, led by a single Ursa Major.

The three huntresses stared in shock as the small herd of Grimm grew closer to them. "Are you guys listening to me?" The three pointed behind him, and as he turned, the head of the group greeted Jaune with a growl. "Oh! It's the herd from the river."

"Run!" Yang shouted, Blake and Pyrrha close behind the blonde brawler in their retreat. Jaune however kept his ground, and rather than draw his blade, he only waved and smiled.

"Soooo, uh...do any of you know how to reach a temple with relics?"


	4. A few secrets revealed, many to follow

**Hello, to all who actually love this story! I thank you all for the reviews, follows, and favorites. Honestly, I didn't expect it, but it has me motivated to keep this story going. Now, I am keeping the teams the same, but as for pairings, I have one planned out, but it shall not be announced just yet. I will say it will be somewhat unexpected. I hope this chapter isn't too short or cheesy, but with all the projects for school, hopefully you all enjoy the story thus far. **

Three huntresses ran as fast as their legs could carry them, knowing full well they couldn't take on the large amount of Grimm behind. Yet unaware of the missing piece they left behind. Their long sprint had them clearing the forest in just minutes, and an old temple could be seen from their edge. For once a positive note, and with nary a Grimm in sight, they made no hast to approach it. To their surprise, two other hunters were already there, staring at the new arrivals as they collapsed upon the foundation of the ruins.

"Ren, Are they dead?" The bubbly girl asked towering over them, to which her partner replied "No, Nora, at least not from what I can tell." He removed a water sack from his pouch and gave the girls just enough to clear their throats.

"Thanks." Yang sat up right, breathing heavy for a few seconds before it returned to normal.

"So, what was the hurry?" Ren asked. Yang pointed towards the forest, to which numerous large roars echoed through the forest.

"Oh." Was the only response the boy could muster "So, you three feel better?"

They nodded in response...then it clicked.

Three?!

A quick look around had them finally noticing a missing blonde. The sudden realization had Pyrrha filled with guilt for leaving her partner behind. Just as she was about to dive right back into the forest, a small yelp from above caught their attention.

"Heads up!"

Glancing up, they saw Ruby descending straight towards them with tremendous speed. The entire fall had the young huntress' life pass before her eyes, whilst her small yelp grew louder each moment the people on the ground grew larger. Nearing closer to the shrine, she closed her eyes, and waited for impact,

Yet, disappeared before making contact.

Leaving all eyes frantically searching for the young huntress. Ren was the first to find her, only clearing his throat and pointing to a nearby tree. Atop a branch stood a blonde knight holding Ruby bridal style. The small huntress blushed slightly, while the onlookers sighed in relief.

Said young huntress gazed to her savior, his trademark smile lifting a slight blush on her cheeks.

"You ok?" He asked

To which her only response was a single nod. He set her down, and jumped off the branch, landing lightly on the ground. Once Ruby joined him, they ran to the group by the temple. Yang forcefully hugging her younger sister, suffocating ever so slightly upon their arrival. Pyrrha doing similarly to her teammate, while constantly apologizing for having left him behind.

"I'm sorry, Jaune! I assumed you would run just as we did."

"Don't worry about it; I dealt with it just fine."

Three pair of eyes stared widely at him, Yang being the first to ask "You killed them all?"

Jaune merely chuckled, moving towards the center of the temple to retrieve an artifact. "You know, there are other ways to deal with the Grimm. Not every situation calls for bloodshed."

"So, how did you 'deal' with them then?" Yang asked, a bit skeptical.

Again, he merely gave a smile and answered simply "instinct."

**-Beacon Cliff- **

Ozpin stood alone near the edge, his scroll focused entirely on Jaune. He understood now why his old mentor wanted him, and only him, to observe Jaune's initiation. Glynda on the other hand kept trying to figure out why certain cameras kept failing every time a blonde night appeared in them. The headmaster enjoyed the idea of seeing the blonde boy after the incident 12 years prior. Sadly, there was dread in his heart for the upcoming trials that would befall the young teen. Hopefully, the lad would be able to enjoy what little time he had left before he had to carry a birthright burden. Perhaps, if he lived long enough, his exile would end. Allowing Ozpin to finally return home, and maybe even take 'her' with him.

"Sir?"

His attention was caught by his assistant who, by now, had annoyingly given up trying to fix the camera bugs, yet troubled by an alert that popped up on her scroll's screen.

"There's something approaching the temple."

"I'm aware of the Nevermore, the current group near the ruins are more than capable of..."

"No, sir. The sensors are detecting something larger...followed by similar signals. Approximately 23 in total. Should we intervene?"

Ozpin smiled and turned to the forest, "No, we won't be needed for this." leaving Glynda both slightly worried and confused.

'Over 20 Grimm, this will be quite enjoyable.' He thought to himself while taking another sip of coffee.

-Temple Ruins-

Jaune retrieved a relic resembling a white rook. Chess pieces for relics, D and C class Grimm, Ruby falling out of the sky. Such an eventful start…wait…

"Ruby, why were you falling from the sky to begin with?" Jaune asked, the smaller huntress stared blankly back at him before she finally remembered.

"Oh no." She muttered, the loud screech of a Nevermore echoed throughout the forest. All eyes darted up, watching the large Grimm fly by with a single figure desperately clinging to its leg.

"How could you leave me!?" It shouted, losing its grip to the point where she only had one arm holding on.

"I said: jump." Ruby argued.

"She's going to fall." Ren predicted.

"She'll be fine." Again, the red hooded huntress argued, only to be corrected as everyone pointed upwards. Falling towards them was Ruby's partner, having lost her grip on the Nevermore.

Jaune reacted, using just enough momentum, he pulsed his aura for a jump that left the stone beneath him deepen into a perfectly symmetrical crater. He caught the girl with ease, and landed just near the edge of the forest, again creating a nice big crater.

She opened her eyes to greet her savior, only to see the blonde goof from the locker room. "You ruffian! Put me down! Put me..." She yelled, while throwing her fists wildly at him.

Before she finished however, a large group of Ursa emerged from the forest. A very angry group of Ursa. The young heiress paled "Pick me up! Pick me up!" She quickly changed her mind, jumping back unto Jaune's arms while said blonde knight rushed back to the temple. Laughing the whole run, leaving Weiss embarrassed and angered at his sudden reaction.

Upon their arrival, Weiss immediately jumped off the blonde's arms. The large pack of Ursa approaching with murderous speed, and the menacing cries of the Nevermore from above only piled the worries at the moment.

"Great, the gangs all here. Now we can all die together." Yang chanted.

Not entirely, if he could distract the incoming group into following him, then the only problem would be the Nevermore. After all, he did have a non-violent manner in handling the Grimm. In addition, the group around him had more than enough strength to take down the Nevermore. But, this pack was different from the group he met earlier, so he'd have to approach with caution. However, a small glimpse of red jumped into action ahead of him, leaving only the cries of her older sister to come back. From above, the Nevermore launched a hail of spear-like feathers down on the eager huntress. Luckily, the only hit was to her cape, keeping her pinned to the ground. Yang ran after her, only to stop in her tracks as the incoming feathers nearly impaled her.

Ruby pulled on her cape unable to budge the slightest; the only option for freedom was either ripping or abandoning her cape. Growls from behind sent shivers down her spine. Her head turned slowly to greet the pack, their leader glaring down on Ruby. Without a second glance, it raised its claws, reading to strike.

"RUBY!" the last cry she heard before shutting her eyes to an inevitable fate.

The Ursa Majors claw cut deep, breaking through both armor and flesh. Gasps, widen eyes, adding a sudden shriek of horror broke Ruby from her fear. Her eyes met with the back of a blonde knight standing before her, though hit head on, stood his ground well. The Ursa Major jerked its head slightly, clearly shocked by the intervention. It slowly backed away, the group behind showing signs of fear. Their instincts warning them of the bleeding knight before them.

"Damn..." He muttered, blood already dripping off his mouth. The red liquid oozed out of his body in small streams following the strike which had created a small puddle beneath him. He turned his head slightly to Ruby, who was paralyzed by the act of her savior. "Ruby, you ok?"

The only response was a paralyzed huntress. The Ursa started to risk another attempt, there was the pesky Nevermore, along with the newly added injury, he couldn't do this.

Not alone

"Kat, a little help would sure be appreciated by now."

**'What's the magic word?'** Came a feminine voice, followed by a deepened echo.

"Damn Otaku…Release control. Arc Restriction: zero." he ended with a small sigh.

From beneath him appeared a large glyph, black liquid enveloping the blonde knight within a matter of seconds. The amount of released aura was insanely high, it was certainly an amazing sight, yet a certain heiress had her attention on the unknown glyph where the boy once stood. Certain aspects of his body began shifting; the glyph beneath him shone a beacon-like light. Changing from clear white, to pitch black. A large barrier formed around them, leaving Yang and the others unable to see what would transpire next.

Seconds after, the black liquid subsided. In place of the blonde knight was someone, or rather, something else entirely.

Long ebony hair, skin as dark as her prey's fur, lustful cardinal eyes, and exoskeletal armor covering a fair amount of her body. Her appearance said human, aura with higher influence than the that of the huntresses by the temple. But something about her kept screaming: death. Just who, or what, is Jaune Arc?

**"How rude, and somewhat accurate. Well, this shit hit the fan pretty quick. Didn't think you'd be so reckless kid."** Her last remark aimed directly to Ruby, whom was currently trying to process what transpired in front of her. The mere sound of her voice had some elements within the Ursa backing slowly towards the forest. The Ursa Major growled loudly, an order to hold their ground, to which their retreat was brought to a halt.

The Nevermore returned for another strike, this time diving at high speed for the new target. Katerina merely grinned and raised a single arm with an open palm. The overgrown Grimm was just about to make contact when a glyph appeared with such speed and force, it stopped the Nevermore. A black box enveloped the creature's body, letting out one last screech before being completely contained. Smaller spear-like silhouettes surrounded the casket, with a quick closing of her palm; the spears pierced the box in every direction. Black blood dripped off the tips of each spear, some small drops fell on her face. The foul stench of the dead Grimm was already enveloping the air, the dark energy evaporated, allowing the corpse to fall with a large thud.

By now, even the Ursa Major had second thoughts. It flinched slightly as Katerina approached. Then slowly gestured to the fallen Grimm. **"Here, it was old and dying already. It's body should be enough to feed your pack."**

The Ursa Major stared her directly in the eye before barking another call to its pack. Baby Ursas emerged from behind the adults, first with hesitation, then greedily devouring the Nevermore's corpse. Katerina found herself grinning at how hungry those young ones were. No doubt the migrating season through the Emerald forest was always a rough place to forage for food. Most Grimm stick to the river where fish and clean water are plentiful, but competition would lead to unnecessary deaths. They knew this, so to avoid any future problems, some migrating herds stray from the river, and hunt for their meals. Her smile reassured the rest of the pact, allowing them enough courage to join the feast, completely ignoring the trapped huntress. Just as it left to rejoin it's group, the Ursa nudged Katerina slightly. Its own way of thanking her.

With that, she now focused her attention on the trapped huntress. Scared was an understatement as to what Ruby was feeling at the moment. Not only did her first male friend willingly take an injury her ignorance deserved, but to see him suddenly transform into this Grimm-like being was too much to take in. Her mind kept asking the question: who was Jaune Arc, really? Her mind finally snapped back to reality when Katerina towered her.

**"Listen, Ruby, was it?" **

She nodded, slightly, though not diverting her eyes away.

**"I've been using an insane amount of my own aura to keep this form, heal Jaune, and as you've seen, kill a Nevermore. Now, I'm guessing you have questions. I have no intention of answering them, but blonde and scraggly might when he wakes up. Keep in mind it's easier to just erase your memory, I've done it before, but Jaune thinks highly of you so for now I'll trust you. My aura's almost out, so what I need you to do is promise to keep this our little secret. Okay?" **

Again Ruby only nodded.

**"Also, make sure your friends don't harm them."** She gestured to the pack. **"Believe me when I say this Ruby, not every Grimm is a mindless beast. These Ursa are no exception."**

Katerina smiled, allowing her own form to evaporate, leaving behind Jaune's now healed, but unconscious, body. Ruby reacted quickly and helped Jaune lay down, resting his head on her lap. The barrier surrounding them fell with the reverse transformation.

As soon as they were visible again, Yang and the others sprint to Ruby's position. Yang embracing her now safe sister, while the others readied their weapons for a fight. Though most of them were shocked to see a dead Nevermore being consumed by the pack. Pyrrha and Weiss readied their weapons when a young voice brought them to a halt.

"Stop!" Ruby yelled out, hoping to stop them before it got out of hand. They all stared at her confusingly before she finally came up with a good excuse. "Look, they're distracted; and right now Jaune needs medical attention. We already have our relics. Can we just head back, please?"

Yang was somewhat surprised her little sister didn't want to rush back into a fight, but she made a valid point, Vomit boy wasn't bleeding anymore, his aura must've sealed the wound, but that didn't mean he was in top shape just yet. She and Ren helped the boy up, and all together avoided the loud crunching, ripping flesh of a Grimm being consumed by another Grimm. In all honesty, it was sort of interesting. When the Grimm wasn't always on the hunt for humans, the way the mother Ursa gives her cub the biggest of her share of meat. Or how the leader of the pack would watch over the others while they ate.

"Ruby, what exactly happened back there?" Weiss asked. Leaving all eyes glued to her, waiting for a response.

"Uh...he dealt with it." She replied. Clearly hiding something, though the situation called for other more pressing matters to be dealt with first.

**-Beacon Medical Wing- **

Jaune spent the bulk of his unconsciousness in the medical wing, with results finding moderate contusions, and dangerously low aura levels.

Ozpin, currently the only one in the room. The others waited outside, him being the one to see the boy wake first. He took another sip of coffee before replaying Jaune's initiation the day before. He was the third person to see Katerina's physical form, but it wasn't for her armor's lack of coverage that he kept rewinding the video over and over. It was a nostalgic feeling, one that stirred a mix of emotions in him: wavering loyalty, betrayal, doubts, fear. So much fear.

Another glance toward the sleeping blonde soothed him just slightly. He could see the past he once enjoyed, a time when he didn't need to play a false role, when he could love without fear of life's recoil. This boy looked so much like his REAL parents. His father's looks, and of course his mother's carefree, yet nurturing attitude. Willing to sacrifice himself to save his friends, just like his mother. A haunting regret plagued him, just as it always did when he remembered them.

"Volker, Cornelia, if only we arrived sooner, your son wouldn't have to be burdened with our mistakes. And perhaps, he would be home with a family that loves him, rather than living a lie, and fighting a war that could've been prevented had we just acted."

Jaune shifted slightly, his eyes twitched for a few seconds, then opened. His first sight; the headmaster smiling down on him.

"Welcome back Mr. Arc. I assumed you slept well?"

The blonde responded with a small groan, followed by a quiet yawn. Slowly, he raised himself up. His aura had already healed most of the wounds caused by the Ursa Major, Kat did her part with taking over allowing him to focus primarily on healing. Then it hit him: Kat revealed herself, and he was pretty sure there was a camera within the barrier. He sat up quickly, wincing slightly in pain.

"Don't exert yourself, you've been out for two days."

The pain was bearable, but it wasn't exactly welcomed.

"There was something oddly peculiar with the initiation video."

"!"

"Any camera that focused on you malfunctioned. I wonder what might've caused it." His tone ended with a hint of notable sarcasm.

"Your friends are waiting outside, I will let them in. Oh, and I've already announced the teams, for a young man you sure can sleep after all the attempts to wake you. Please be on time for classes tomorrow, you're excused for both days, but I am hoping you'll be able to attend your lessons without anymore 'surprises'."

"Wait!"

Ozpin came to a halt near the front on the door, if Jaune wanted to ask him about Cerus, now was a good time as any. They were alone, and he didn't appear to have any weapon on him. Yet what was keeping him from doing so? Jaune could easily summon some sort of glyph to keep in in place, or use his already recovered aura to take him on, but something was stopping him. Rather than swing violently, he lowered his head and uttered "Thank you, sir."

With that, Ozpin left, allowing the others to flood in. Ruby, Vesta, and Pyhrra quite literally threw themselves at him. After not waking up for 2 days straight, why wouldn't they be so happy the blonde finally woke up. Jaune was Ruby's first male friend in Beacon, Vesta's childhood friend, and Pyhrra's partner. The increase in pressure however caused what little of Jaune's almost healed injuries to revert slightly, adding a few new ones. Without the intervention of the nurse, Jaune could've ended up with a few cracked ribs, though injuries like those could be easily healed, he preferred avoiding them.

Once the commotion finally settled, Ren explained the team situation: teams RWBY with Ruby as the leader, and JNPR with, you guessed it, the lovable blonde knight as the leader. This did come as a surprise and it took its toll. Being leader of a team was the last thing he expected, leaving him to wonder if the headmaster did this intentionally. Until the heiress snapped him to reality with a smack to the back of the head.

"Hey!" He yelled,

She merely huffed and added "You are a complete reckless and utter moron for taking on those Grimm by yourself...but, I thank you for rescuing me...and my partner."

To some, this was a big surprise, given her first impression.

"Uh...think nothing of it Miss Schnee." He replied, nervously scratching the back of his head, while slightly pinching himself.

"Weiss. Given the fact that you were able to save my partner from her own ignorance, while also diverting the attention of an entire Grimm pack to help us escape safely, you can skip the formality."

He nodded, and attempted to rise from bed before a hand pushed him back down. His partner was rather strong, given her slim appearance. "Don't force yourself, Ruby told us how hard you fought in the forest. You deserve a good rest."

Jaune turned to the young huntress who gave a quick, but undetectable wink, allowing him to rest at ease knowing she kept his secret so far. And now with formalities done, another nap was to be greatly enjoyed.

Had he been so lucky.

The small group began flooding him with questions: Weiss kept asking over the glyph he used. Pyrrha, Ren, and Blake were interested on how fast his wounds healed, and Yang wanted to know every detail that occurred within the barrier.

"No one just summons something like that, unless there's something they don't want others to see." She argued over the necessity of creating a large barrier when they could've been of use. Like always, Jaune needed to come up with a believable lie. His luck was always giving him the worst taste of life, only thanks to Ozpin; no one would need to know of Kat just yet.

"It's sort of a last resort when I'm in a near death situation. I can't really explain it, because it's not really believable. But it was the only card I had left to play in that situation." He answered, knowing full well there would still be questions, and after reading Yang's aura when she threw an Ursa at him in the forest, she would resort to force if needed.

A thought came to Pyrrha about Jaune's ability to detect the Grimm, especially from a large distance. Once she mentioned it, even the heiress found herself amazed with him. She knew quite a few people who could detect the presence of the Grimm, but, like Pyhrra, very few of them could accurately detect the species, numbers, and location.

The only person, who wasn't with widened eyes, was Vesta. Being the only one amongst the group to have trained with Jaune before, his skills didn't catch her attention anymore. However, the strange glyphs, large barriers, and taking down an adult Nevermore in mere seconds did have her see Jaune as a promising Hunter, more so than before. Perhaps the promise he made all those years ago wouldn't be such a childish fairy tale anymore.

"So, your semblance is glyphs?" Weiss asked, to which Jaune only chuckled softly.

"No, it's more of..."

However before he could respond, Yang instantly placed her index finger between his lips, a small playful glare imprinted. "Don't you dare say; instinct."

Jaune's smile didn't fade; instead he merely removed her finger and answered the heiress' question: "Glyphs aren't my semblance. Before you ask, it'd be easier to show you, rather than explain it."

"Are you challenging me?" Yang raised an eyebrow.

Now, after a day in sparing class, people would easily say: 'HELL NO!' to a match with Yang. Sadly, Jaune had only a single encounter with her fighting style, being more of a temper tantrum than semblance use.

"If you think you can win." Jaune responded, unaware of the terrible response, and Ozpin in the hallway. The Headmaster pulled out his scroll, sent a Scheduled match request to Glynda, and another added contact received the same message, whilst leaving the Medical Wing. This match with Xiao long would be a great chance to test Jaune's abilities in combat, and if he truly was ready to inherit his birthright.

When students heard of Jaune challenging Yang to a fight, some students for the poor blonde, a few actually gave him a legal will just in case. It wasn't until Ren showed him a video of Yang's match with a Cardin Winchester, did he start fearing how much his face would be rearranged. Ruby and Weiss tried talking Yang out of it, but she was determined to figure out the blonde boy's semblance, and possibly even see just how strong he was. To defeat a Nevermore in mere minutes, accurately detect Grimm, and somehow 'handle' a pack of Ursa without a scratch was a challenge she couldn't pass up. Blake wanted to talk her out of the fight as well, but she also had a match with the blonde boy, and no one said a little assessment of your opponent's strength wasn't allowed. Though, she hoped her partner wouldn't go too hard on Jaune.

Back in team JNPR's room, Pyrrha was constantly urging Jaune to call off the fight, even Ren made valid arguments. Nora on the other hand was the only student who thought Jaune stood a chance. Although everyone made sense, and it would be a shame if he didn't at least try.

After professor Port's extremely long lecture, many students flooded out, some unable to bear his stories any longer, while the bulk of them rushed to the stadium to watch a good brawl. With Yang defeating not only Cardin, but a few notable upperclassman, some wondered if Glynda was truly fine with letting this match take place at all.

Even when Ruby mentioned "if he could kill a Nevermore singlehandedly, than he has a 5% chance of not getting killed." ...no opinions changed.

Granted by first impression, Jaune didn't really bear much muscle, and no one has ever seen him fight before. So, this match could be rather short and fun. Some even made bets. Nora and Vesta being the few who openly believed the blonde knight would win.

Knowing full well what trouble he landed himself in, Jaune took the long way towards the stadium, wondering if using his full power would raise any kind of suspicion. Granted his semblance was a bit unorthodox, it was still his power, but would people judge him by it?

While he observed Yang's fighting style on his scroll, another figure kept its eye on Jaune. She did well to hide her presence, and her skills were to be well admired, but she was still giving off a certain notable aura every time. "Blake, stalking is sort of a crime."

To which a small giggle, followed by rustles from trees above him had the huntress jump down to his level. "It's only trouble if you get caught." She pointed out matter-of-factly.

In reply, Jaune only chuckled and continued watching the video. His face growing a bit grimace as Yang blasted Winchester off stage with nary struggle. The video ended, followed by A small annoyed groan. "I don't get it, the guy couldn't land a single punch, let alone touch a strand of hair! How am I supposed to fight her without being completely pulverized?" His frustration led his eye color to change for a split second, Blake noticing it, yet acting as if she saw nothing. Jaune, unaware of what transpired, continued his rambling until a thought came to mind.

"Blake, when you were with Yang in the forest, what caused her to clobber that Ursa?"

She took a moment to think, before remembering a strand of yellow being cut from her head, invoking a rather explosive response.

"Well, I'd say it was the Ursa cutting her hair, but I don't see why that's..." She cut mid-sentence, glancing towards the now motivated blonde. "No." She grimaced, knowing full well his thoughts.

"Oh, yes. I know exactly what to do." He proudly announced heading for the stadium.

The whole walk Blake was picturing a variety of gory endings in store for the poor blonde. A pity, she actually thought of future interactions with him. Being the first human boy she met that wasn't a Faunus bigot.

"Oh! Blake, I was wondering, could I request a favor, its important?" Jaune asked, his hands grasping her shoulder, meeting her amber eyes to his ocean blue orbs. Slowly, and with a small blush, she nodded.

**-Beacon Arena-**

The two opponents stood opposite of one another, Yang grinning devilishly, cracked her knuckles and took a stance. Jaune was more or less worried, granted his semblance alone would be enough to win this little skirmish, it wouldn't be much help unless he let Yang hit him a few times. Judging by the still fresh bruises on Cardin's face, it'd hurt a hell of a lot more than what he might anticipate.

"You sure took your time Vomit boy."

"Just a little last minute strategizing. Hope you're ready."

Judging by the sinister look on Yang's face, and the deathly aura she was emitting, there would be no hesitation in starting, yet she was keep her power somewhat restrained.

No good. He needed her to go all out, or he'd never be able to use his semblance, leaving Yang wanting another match. Her first impression implied a slight nature of playfulness, and a quick temper. That'll help, if he didn't push it.

"I'm not really into hitting girls, or long matches, but I'll try to keep you entertained. Just do me a favor and don't hold back." Jaune said, waiting for the signal.

Once Glynda began the battle, Yang lunged towards Jaune, lifting the ground beneath her with such force. The other blonde only smiled as a fist was approaching towards his face. Just as the two were to make contact, he disappeared, leaving the brawler trying to balance herself while scanning the arena confusingly.

"Nice attack." Came a voice from behind her, she turned her head quickly, meeting face to face with Jaune. "I must say, that would've hurt if I didn't react in time. But you're holding back."

The audience was astounded; many had already assumed his semblance was speed, yet only Ruby knew better.

"Try again." He chanted with an obviousness taunt.

Yang swung another fist, this one faster than her first. Yet again her hand swung through air, the blonde knight laughing behind her, again. "C'mon Yang, I don't think you'd want me to resort to my final measure."

Now, just slightly irritated and amused, lunged for another attack, this time Jaune readied himself in a battle stance. The distance grew shorter every second, until the brawler's fist actually made contact with his stomach, the force made a large crack. A few grimaced expressions could be pointed out amongst the large crowd. However, as the blonde's body flew lifelessly through the other side of the stage, Yang couldn't help but worry of how much force she used. That is, when the body dispersed into black smoke, leaving both Yang and the audience confused, and with wandering eyes. "You're still holding back; guess I've got no choice."

Yang's eyes widened when she heard the snipping sounds of scissors, and a small strand of hair fall before her.

Ruby and Weiss both paled, Pyhrra's heart skipped a few beats. Nora and Vesta were slightly confused, while Ren was shaking his head disappointingly. Blake, unconsciously, had her hands in a prayer form. Within moments, Yang's aura rose to dangerous level, her hair literally burning with rage.

"VOMIT BOY!" Her screech reached even ears outside the stadium; Jaune only laughed and dodged every blast she fired. Her attacks were starting to increase in both speed and power. Her shots were thrown wildly, some coming close to hitting the crowd had Glynda not set up a proper barrier, knowing full well Xia Long's tendency to lose control. Though what she just witnessed was unexpected, her faith in Ozpin's decisions was unwavering, but this is way beyond under control.

Jaune's only response to her outrage: "You're finally going all out, now the real fun begins." Again, while laughing.

Weiss threw her hands in the air, claiming the boy had gone insane. Pyhrra kept fighting the urge to help her teammate, Ruby kept twiddling her fingers, drumming them wildly whilst fighting the same urge Pyrrha had.

Finally, after many last minute dodges, Yang was starting to get weary, her attacks were slowing down. Now was a good time as any for Jaune to test his theory. He used his speed to spring up behind her, delivering a rather strong kick to her side. As Yang flew to the opposite end of the arena, he noticed a sudden increase in her aura.

"So that's how it is." He mumbled, standing in the middle of the arena. Yang was half buried into the arena wall, though that kick was enough for her own semblance to be put to good use. Without a second guess, she lunged forward with all her speed, landing a well-deserved punch to the blonde's chest. The force had such magnitude, the ground beneath them cracked. Most would think the boy was either dead or dying.

He was neither.

His head rose, meeting Yang's gaze. His eyes shifted from their innocent ocean blue, to a dark shade of crimson. The brawler flinched slightly, unable to comprehend how the boy before her could withstand her attack. Jaune's hand caught a good grip on her arm, pulling her close to him. He whispered very soft, but clearly, into her ear "My turn."

She broke free of his grasp, and began hitting him with all she had. Every punch landing, and if she heard right, many bones breaking. It continued until her temper cooled down. She backed away from her target, his armor completely destroyed, upper half of cloths burned to crisps. Yet once the dust settled, not a single scratch on him. His body covered in white aura.

"You wanted to know my semblance, so here it is; I mimic."

The audience began whispering loudly, Yang, panting heavily, growled out "you what!?"

"I have the ability analyze someone's semblance, and once I've learned it, I can perform it on my own free will. You? You gain energy by the amount of hits you receive. You focus your aura on your strength, I focus on my shield. In order to completely copy someone else's semblance, I need time to study it, and practice. However..."

Just as Yang was about to strike again, she found herself unable to move. Jaune raised his left arm, she mirrored his actions. "I must admit this one is my favorite. The shadow semblance, gives me an advantage for hiding in the shadows...or controlling some else through them."

Yang's eyes widened, with the amount of strength she had left, it was a no brainer the boy would win. Her arms started aching, eyes failing to hide the pain.

"The person whom I trained with used this semblance on me, this move was her favorite. It comes in handy, seeing as how I'm used to having my arm in this position." Jaune said.

Yang continued to fight his control, yet her strength was all but used up. Now that he knew her semblance, there was no way he'd strike her; it would only be adding fuel to the fire. Her aura was just enough for a little firework show, but his modified shield would protect him. The crowd watched with widened eyes, many literally on the edge of their seats waiting for the final strike. Their respective teams were also waiting to see what would transpire next.

"But, there was always one problem to this technique..."

Jaune turned to Glynda, Yang doing the same unwillingly.

"Okay, I forfeit." Jaune's words brought about absolute silence, then uproar amongst the onlookers. Yells of; 'You had her!' And 'what the hell just happened!?" Were among the yells aimed at the Blonde knight. Yang was just as confused as the rest of them, relaxing her arm when Jaune released his hold.

Said boy walked to a part of the arena were the strand of hair he cut lay idly. He held it up to his head, revealing similar hair color, and from where it was cut. "Sorry about that little lie, it was the only way to get you to come at me full force." Yang chucked tiredly, and relieved seeing that she wouldn't have to kill the boy just yet. She found herself first chuckling, and then laughing somewhat loudly. Jaune doing the same. That was until their respective teams jumped into the arena with him, Ruby and Vesta hugging him fiercely, unintentionally adding more pain than what the match gave him. The majority of them were a bit surprised, but just glad he was ok. Weiss, however, lashed out at him.

"You could've won! Why didn't you end it?!"

Watching her pout about like that was rather cute, but he had his reasons for giving up so quickly near the end. "The shadow semblance is used mainly for stealth, and fast techniques. It takes up too much aura so I needed to use it quickly. Besides, even if I did hit her, she'd only collect on it and pass the torch back on to me. It'd be a never ending game of tag. None of us have the strength to keep on going like that, besides my aura was almost used up on that last trick. I was good for another few seconds." He pointed out.

**-Arena Observation Booth- **

From the observers both, Ozpin and a hooded figure watched the whole situation unravel. Both men smiled proudly. "He forced her hand, revealing her semblance while using a combination of others he picked up. Then, even with the upper hand, he knew it'd be a stalemate, so he forfeit. I'm impressed."

Ozpin sipped his coffee, while turning away from the window "As you should be Cerus. He's becoming quite the hunter." He commented, serving another cup and handing it to Cerus, who as well turned away from the window. He received the cup and sat down for a moment. "We both know he won't be able to be a hunter, he has another calling. I've spoken to the Tenko, the council has grown restless. They cannot keep control for long; Jaune will need to return to his homeland. Even if he must leave this life behind, forcibly. I made a promise to his parents many years ago, and I plan on upholding my word."

Ozpin placed his cup down, shifting his gaze back to the boy, who was taking a nap on the floor. His classmates were acting a bit frantic, but Glynda was down with them so at the very least there was one cool head.

"Will we ever be allowed to return home, after everything that happened?" His question left them silent for a few minutes before Cerus rose from his spot.

"I don't know that will be up to Jaune to decide. I must leave; I'm hoping to see my daughter before she 'disappears' again." Without a reply, his physical form dispersed, evaporating ever so quickly. Ozpin left the booth, wondering if it was safe to let Jaune know some of his past, or risk allowing his inner Grimm to release all his hidden rage.

"I wonder." He mumbled quietly to himself.

**-Dormitories-**

After the match, Jaune was taking a well-deserved nap on his bed. His team left him to rest while talking to team RWBY in their dorm. The topic of their discussion; Jaune's semblance.

Yang leading the discussion, "So, his semblance is: Mimic. He has Shadows from an old mentor, Ruby's speed, Ice Queen's glyphs, Vesta's healing, and now my semblance. Any other surprises?"

"My clones..." Blake mumbled, catching everyone's attention. "Before the match, he asked me to show him my semblance, and In return he'd owe me a favor. I was confused at first, but now I know why."

So the clone Jaune used when Yang landed the first punch was Blake's copied semblance. The brawler gave her partner a small glare, but vanished just as quickly. Still, her clones were supposed to disperse upon touching them. The clones Jaune summoned were solid, dispersing only after receiving a fatal blow. Ruby was fast, no question, but even at her highest speed, she always left a small trace of red when using her semblance. The blonde knight disappears in the blink of an eye, appearing elsewhere without notice. There was something about him that made his abilities all the more interesting.

"This is so cool; Jaune can use any semblance he wants!" Nora shouted excitingly. Ren calmed her down, allowing Weiss voicing her own mind "If that's the case, from whom did he learn to create a barrier as large as the one from the forest? More importantly, how many more has he learned over the years?"

To this, Yang and Nora could only wonder how much 'fun' they'd having sparring with someone who could actually match their own level...in a sense. Pyhrra worried over her team leader, though also amazed at how he used what little information he had to force Yang into reveal her semblance. Then when nearing the end of the fight, admitting defeat rather than allowing pride to push his body for the win. Even Ren smiled when Jaune admitted not being able to continue, though smart enough to analyze his opponent and come up with a plan to keep them in check.

A soft knock on their door had their conversation end short. Blake opened, greeting Vesta, who was scanning the room. "Umm...Jaune isn't here?"

"He should be asleep in our room." Pyhrra pointed out. To which Vesta's expression turned to worry "But, he's not there. I just checked. And his scroll is lying on the nightstand."

Both teams shared a worried look before all departing to find the missing blonde. Only the youngest of them having a clue where to look.

**-Headmaster's office-**

Ozpin sat at his desk quietly with Glynda was informing him of upcoming events, which he had little to no interest in. a soft knock on his door gave him the perfect excuse to cut his assistant short, avoiding her glare while answering the guest. Upon opening the doors, he stood face to face with Jaune.

"Sir, forgive the disturbance, but I have questions that only you seem to have answers to."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow, while fighting the urge to grin. It would seem that instead of seeking him out, the boy sought him. "And what questions might you have Mr. Arc"

Jaune retrieved a letter from his pocket, opening it slowly and carefully, he displayed it to Ozpin with a murderous glare "Tell me everything you know about; Cerus."


	5. Origins

**I feel as if the story is losing its touch, no worries to those who like how the plot is unraveling, I shall continue to the very end. As I've said before, please do enjoy this new chapter, and I shall do my best to post the next very soon.**

**-Schnee Dust Research, Underground Archives- **

Now that his role in a 12 year long assignment was finished, Prentiss took it upon himself to oversee the final stages of the plan. He couldn't help but wonder if Cerus was serious on bringing back his people, or if he could actually accomplish it with what little he had left. There once was a time that all this secrecy wasn't entirely needed, and the boy they took from Roma actually lived a normal life...well, whatever counts as normal for creatures like him. It was by sheer luck the procedure didn't kill him, he heard of forced bonding: bloody for both subjects. The connection had to be mutual. Trying to recreate an almost extinct species was hard enough with the limited bodies at their disposal for testing, but the fact that only a few subjects would survive for several hours before going insane was enough to scrub the project entirely. Humans and Grimm were never meant to exist in the same body, that's what these tests made apparent.

So why did the blonde survive? He and his people weren't exactly human to begin with, yet not even their Faunus subjects reacted any better. It still brought up so much unanswered questions. But those secrets would die with all the rest, here in this facility.

Or that is what he expected; he glanced to one of the workers who was mumbling nervously over a terminal. A rookie? Could be he made a mistake, not uncommon, yet punishable. He strode very carefully, noticing many red lights on the terminal's screen before the man started cursing loudly. "We have a breach! There's an intruder within our encrypted files!"

Many idle workers rushed to their terminals, some completely confused on how to deal with the situation. Prentiss reacted quickly, rushing to where the young man found the hacker.

"What's the situation?"

"S-s-sir, we have a breach in one of our data pockets! The intruder bypassed every security measure. They're downloading a specific data file!"

"What do you mean!? Which data!?" He grabbed the man by his shirt's collar, his yells echoing throughout the room.

"I-I don't know, but whatever it is they're looking for, they're getting it. We need to shut down the systems! Stop the intruder in his track."

"Do it! And someone trace the location."

Just as the men were about to retake control, the screens flickered for a moment before they blackened, leaving only the words: 'Dies Irae. Vivat Rex.' In bold white text.

Prentiss didn't need to understand what the text meant, but it's intent was enough of a message. "Damn you, Cerus." He muttered. Once the servers were restored, he ordered a quick scan of what the intruder stole. Informing Josef of this breach would be rather loud, and messy. Although, he always had a way of fixing problems that came his way. This was one of the reasons he preferred assignments that involved human to human contact, if the hacker took any data referring to Josef's plan, then everything they ever worked for could fall apart. But, how, and why did Cerus choose to act now? Unless, he had more help than what the current records held. That being the case, then more of his kind still very much exist. Stopping only for a second, he pulled out his scroll. If needed to, then the results of his personal experiments, those who actually survived with little to no defect, would have to be put to use. Granted their bloodthirsty nature would cause them to attack without discretion, but some sacrifices had to be made.

**-Open sea, Schnee Dust research station- **

Amongst the foul stench of rotting flesh, and dismembered body pieces, a girl with minty green hair and dark skin removed a hard drive from a blood stained terminal, taking a moment to admire her handiwork. After having her fill, she walked out unto the platform, more of her 'artwork' stained the outer hull of the base. She stood near the edge, extending her arm. A smaller version of a Nevermore landed on her shoulder with ease. Rather than react violently like most would, she held up the drive "Vadite ad senem. Vade," the Grimm gripped the item with its talons, flying towards the mainland as fast as it could. Her partner emerged from within the base, trying to avoid the leftovers of his teammate's rage. "Hey Emerald, we're done here. Cinder wants us in Vale, something big's about to happen. What'd you think, kidnapping someone important?" He had just finished planting charges inside, jumping unto their escape boat with his fingers eagerly gripping the detonator, waiting to cover their tracks.

"You have no idea." She mumbled. Joining him while their boat made haste, surviving the man's need for explosions. In a matter of minutes the base was engulfed in flames, and in mere seconds it sunk. Emerald shifted towards her partner "You over did it, Mercury."

Her partner only laughed at the statement after having needed to hold his breath most of the time inside. "I could say the same for you; I can't even tell you how many of the same organs I saw back there. By the way, what were you doing in their communications post? Our mission was to snatch weapon blueprints and the shipment routes." His attention only taken away from their package for a slight moment. He received an emotionless stare before she returned to her driving. "They had something I wanted, nothing you need to worry about."

He shrugged the idea, and harnessed the box which carried the documents. Emerald glanced to her partner, then to sky. Five Nevermores appeared from the protection of the clouds. The leading party noticed her, its screech gave her a small smile before it and its group disappeared back into the clouds.

Mercury's head reacted, just not quick enough to see the Grimm vanish. His eyes scanned around nervously before joining his partner up front. Their next destination; Vale. While Mercury guessed the next assignment, Emerald's little intrusion into their records revealed a few more secrets than the original intended venture. Her only concern, what would have to be the cost to complete her own mission?

**-Beacon Academy, Headmaster's office- **

"That's not exactly a question Mr. Arc" Ozpin attempted to lightened Jaune's unpleasant expression, to no avail. Having read the letter, and noticing the sword he carried, Ozpin could only assume Cerus felt that it was time to reveal certain information to the blonde boy.

"Glynda, may I have a moment with this young man? Assure that no one interferes with our discussion." his voice dead serious, sending a chill down her spine. With no intent on questioning him, Glynda rushed out, slamming the door behind her.

Ozpin's serious attitude eased, allowing a smile to appeared. "Normally I would reprimand a student for speaking to me in such a manner, but you rescued me from a lecture I wouldn't have endured for much longer. Be that as it may, I'm afraid There are some things I cannot say due to where I stand. But, I'll answer what I can." He sat at his desk and waited for the questions to start. While bracing for any outburst for answers Jaune won't react so pleasantly to.

"Do you know a man named Cerus?"

"...yes."

Well, that one was rather easy.

"Are you associated with him?"

"...yes."

His last answer had Jaune's eye twitch slightly, the next question was sure to be the final crack. Ozpin gripped his cane, waiting for the next question.

"Did you have a hand to play in the Romdall incident 12 years ago?" The blonde's voice was edging between his normal self, and Kat.

"No." Ozpin's grip relaxed slightly, knowing full well he had no part in that attack.

"Were you aware it would happen?"

"Yes, I knew how both parties played their role." Ozpin took notice of Jaune's confusion, his eyes widened just slightly; he paced a bit before Ozpin decided to ask questions of his own.

"Jaune, what do you know of; the Oni?"

The blonde's eyes now glued to his headmaster, hands gripping his own handmade dagger. After the incident Jaune did his research on the subject. But there was little to no information on the subject, leaving him with more questions.

"Well, according to the encyclopedia on Grimm species, the Oni were humanoid creatures. Old scriptures proclaimed them to be the 'lost connection' between Grimm and humans. While other scriptures say the Oni were humans who managed to obtain powers similar to the Grimm. However no such creature has ever been found, nor have there been remains to study so the legends remain as such; legends."

Ozpin chuckled a bit, the texts were correct in some areas, but that wasn't the entire truth. Jaune obviously wanted to know more; just the mere mention of the word had his attention caught. To assure trust between them, and since he would find out sooner or later, Ozpin sat on his desk. "Jaune, there's a story I want to tell you."

The blonde was about to respond when the headmaster's hand rose to shut him before a word could be uttered. "In order for trust to exist between us, it must be shown. So, I will tell you something I've yet to tell anyone before. A secret I kept even from Glynda."

Jaune sat down in one of the nearby chairs, giving his full attention, while using his aura to create another barrier around the room. The intent; to keep any prying ears from discovering them. Ozpin noticed, smiling ever so before telling his own tale.

"I wasn't born in Vale, nor did I always go by the name 'Ozpin'. I once fought for another kingdom's army and performed acts to this day I regret with all my soul. Believe it or not, before becoming a leader, I was a follower. Making more mistakes than any man or woman on this planet. I was born into a tribe within Menagerie's many provinces, under the name; JagdTiger."

"Hunting tiger?" After perfecting his German, it wasn't hard to translate his headmaster's 'real' name. Although his origin did come as a surprise, most assumed Menagerie was abandoned because of its over-infested Grimm population.

"Yes. I was raised deep in the forests, and just like you, we had our peaceful interactions with the Grimm. But, not as you would think..."

**-30 years prior. Menagerie, Germani province- Ozpin's pov**

In Menagerie, where the heaviest concentration of Grimm dwell, to this day exists a hidden kingdom: Sera. The Grimm safeguard this society by keeping discouraging outsiders, reducing the need to visit Menagerie in general. The forests from where I was birthed, had my people somewhat scattered, but united. In my province, people took pride in their ancestry, especially the tribes with battle legacies. My tribe was the Visigoths, most thought of our people as bloodthirsty barbarians, and given our history, there is no doubt to that idea. Granted my people invaded the Romana province after many years on the defense, winning countless battles. But, those days of war ended, allowing my generation to grow up in a time when the eight provinces of Sera lived with no quarrel. Still, it didn't mean our tribe wouldn't train soldiers.

My father was a Sargent, and my mother an archer in our tribe's army during a civil war that occurred before my birth. A few years later, my mother and father brought into this world a sibling to call my own. They named her; Hetzer, because even as a baby, she'd get into so much trouble. Dark hair with red linings, silver eyes, and a Nevermore as her Grimm partner. In Sera, humans and Faunus live side by side with Grimm as their life partners. Mine was a Saber; smart, and cunning. Just like humans, he had a name; which is the one I bear this moment.

Now, you may ask yourself why i carry his name? Because it was my ignorance and pride that led to his death. We were hunting near the Savannah, a good place after rainy seasons. I left with him the same day Hetzer turned 6, I promised her I'd take her on a hunting trip once she was strong enough to hold a spear or bow. Her eyes gleamed brightly, there was no mistaking what she was wishing: she wanted to grow up instantly.

I doubt she ever thought that day would be the last in a long time we would ever see each other.

You see, there exists a barrier between the province of Germani and Cairo, treaties that promised unity as long as their words were followed to the letter. So a 15 year old Visigoth with his Grimm partner crossing into a territory, that already had uneasy tensions with your own, would end badly. I was focused on the hunt, ignoring my partner's warnings, and ended up being ambushed by the Cairo border patrols. Being mistaken for an invading recon force, they struck. My partner died protecting me, such loyalty and sacrifice I did not deserve, but a second chance I vowed to never waste.

What was deserved: imprisonment in Halfeti, a small city near the Danube River. It was beautiful, and well known for their natural growing black roses. The guards were nice enough, food was new but rather odd. The only fault was how news traveled; very slowly. After 2 weeks, the sultan heard of my imprisonment, and had me released, due to his friendship with my father. He promised to strike the incident off the record, and allowed to have my partner buried properly.

From there on, I kept his name as a reminder of my earliest and painful mistake. Our life partners are more than just companions. We trained, ate, laughed, and grew together.

Never again did I return to Visigoth, how could I face my people after letting my partner die, and risking a conflict between tribes? Allowing pride and ignorance to cloud rational thoughts are unbecoming of a Visigoth. Had I returned, I would've shamed my family. Instead I remained in Halfeti, learning the culture and language. Living near the desert, one wonders how they could survive during the dry seasons.

I found my answer: Dates and Milk. As long as the Dates palm produced their fruits and the cattle were well kept, the people living in Cairo could survive just as long as their ancestors did without outside trade.

After two years, I traveled to the Romana province. The beautiful vineyards and vast farmlands were captivating. Cities, ancient by Vale standards, but much more advanced than my village. Venice, Sium, Mediolanum, and Neapoli were my favorite. So much to enjoy: food, culture, architecture, sights, 'other' sights.

I met Cerus in Florentiae, the capital of Romana, 3 years after my travels landed me in his city. We met in a bar, and it wasn't exactly a pleasant one at that. Even now, I still remembered how the little rumble went.

It was a small bar near the docks, inside were people of many backgrounds, though none from Germani. I stood out, and he noticed. Among him, so did others. One of the groups inside walked up to me with sinister grins, one patting my shoulder as he turned to his fellow Romana. They knew I was a Visigoth, our clothing types are a dead giveaway. It was no surprise they'd be angry. These men were old enough to have fought in the war, and the wounds from the last war between our two provinces were still fresh. Not to mention my tribe was the one that burned down Rome, the original capital of Romana. No one takes that sort of humiliation lightly.

His friends rose from their table, most of them reaching for their blades. The man's grip on my shoulder grew tighter. I wanted to draw my blade, but I couldn't start a fight in this city. I'd only cause more tension than needed. It was true, wounds were still fresh from both sides, yet that didn't stop Cerus. Before the man could take a hit at me, he gave the man a single punch. That was all he needed to knock him out cold. It didn't stop his friends though, and we did mess up the bar pretty bad. It wasn't until the guards arrived did I find out he was the prince: the next in line to inherit the throne of Sera. You should've seen the look on their faces, people actually bowed to him. Pretty young for a future king, then again, I was pretty young when I 'left' my village. Thanks to him, i got off with a warning, even if I broke a few bones. We spoke a bit after that, strolling around the city. The sight of a Germani and Romana enjoying a day in the presence of one another had many people slightly worried and confused.

He told me how his father kept him within the city, allowing him to roam Florentiae, yet making sure the guards never allowed him to leave. Cerus was a gentle soul, though he always reacted more on his emotions than allowing logic to surface. At first, he was afraid of how I would react to him being part of the royal bloodline, mainly because of his heritage. The Oni are near extinction, and It was no secret, the royal family are the last in all of Sera who carry the Oni in their bloodline. As such, they are required by their own law to be neutral when it comes to the social affairs of their kingdom's inhabitants. It's easier if every first born be married to a woman or man of a selected province. A cycle, keeping all provinces connected, and Oni with diverse ancestry.

What is an Oni? Putting it simply, and according to their written texts, they are much more powerful than any being, yet too weak to be called 'Gods'. They are neither human, Faunus, or Grimm. An entirely different species, so majestic and beautiful yet dangerous and sinful.

For a time, they ruled over an empire that consisted most Remnant, in attempts to keep peace between all three species. In the eyes of the Faunus and Grimm, they were considered the 'holy species', but it didn't mean they were immortal. Humans, have always had a thirst for war, power, causing countless losses in their own wars. And when they discovered the Oni's weakness, their extermination followed soon after. The Grimm were the only ones to remain loyal, but it was a losing fight with the Faunus being the neutral party. In time, the last of the Oni defected to Menagerie, abandoning their old territories. However, what the humans of the time failed to recognize was the influence the Oni had on the Grimm. Their existence helped soothe the bloodthirsty nature, and when their numbers dwindled, the Grimm became more hostile and dangerous. More so when the humans began hunting them for sport. Soon, their life partners turned on them, and Remnant fell to a long age of bloody war...

**-Present time, Headmaster's office-**

"...Oh, I'm sorry, I went off track there for a bit, but I'm sure that little story should've answered most of your questions, correct?" Ozpin now took another sip of his coffee, Jaune's mind still processing everything the headmaster told him. A sense of comfort filled his thoughts, to think such a kingdom existed. A place where people interacted with the Grimm the same way he did. There were new questions that started piling up, some of his story was amusing in a sense. Mainly the idea that this strict headmaster 'enjoyed' the 'sights' of his old home. Adding to the idea that Ozpin once lived amongst the Grimm, its complete irony how he currently makes a living. One question did come to mind though, "The first and only time I met Cerus, he massacred the citizens of Romdall without discretion, murdering my mother in front of me, yet here you tell me of how he was a nice man. Let's say I believe you, what could've happened in his life that would cause him to act like such a monster?"

Ozpin's face soured, he preferred Cerus be the one to tell this story, but Jaune was obviously filled with hatred for the man, and if he lost control of his emotions, then just like before another massacre would arise. Lord Monty must have it in for him; this conversation would be awkward if not very heated. Still, it wasn't his place to discuss this.

"I'm afraid that piece of information is something you must discuss with him, Jaune. However, I feel it is my duty, having known your mother and father, to reveal your true ancestry. You are an Oni, Katerina being a testament to your lineage. What that means is: you are a part of the royal family. Cerus is your uncle, his younger sister; Cornelia Honoratus, was your mother."

Jaune's eyes widened immensely, he nearly fell out of his chair, trying to piece together his memories, and none of it made sense. All he could remember was growing up in Romdall, happily with his family. "That can't be, I have a family. Gael and Jade Arc! My parents!"

Ozpin tapped a key on his desk, allowing stolen images of Jaune's 'parents' before and after their assignments started to pop up. Their real names and bios accompanied the Intel. "They were assigned by the Schnee to keep you under surveillance, assuring you would make it into Beacon. Why? I'm not sure, but they know one of our own hacked their data, which means whatever plans they have are now put on hold, hopefully. Luckily, to them, I am just an old headmaster. They have no idea I have this information. Still, what I have said is true Jaune; you are the rightful heir to Sera's throne. And although you may or may not have noticed, Cerus has always been watching you, making sure the Schnee didn't harm you in any manner than what they've already done."

Before Jaune could question Ozpin more, Katerina projected herself in front of him. Her eyes drained of their usual joy and replaced with regret. **"He's telling the truth Jaune. I met Cerus before, he told me everything, and to protect you, I erased every memory you had of your first 5 years. I-I-I'm sorry."**

Ozpin was surprised, he backed away from the two, knowing full well how this certain secret would play with emotions. How right he was, even with Katerina out of his body, Jaune's eyes shifted to crimson. His aura radiated with murderous intent.

"You knew? You knew about him, the people I called family, this life I lived so for so long; you knew the whole truth, and you never thought once to let me know?!"

Jaune's voice was edging between anger and hurt. Katerina kept her stance, though her emotional state was wavered just as his did. She feared this day, now there was no doubt in her mind he would grow to hate her for this lie. So she tried to defending her stand **"Please understand, I did it to protect you. Cerus didn't tell me why he wanted your memory erased the first time, but just before the Romdall incident he told me everything. That's why I didn't respond to your calls that day, not because I couldn't, but...you might not remember, but before the day we met in the hospital room, I wasn't always a part of you. I was an Ursa cub; the humans who captured me placed me on a table opposite of you. Never could I forget the feeling of being helpless, confused, filled with fear. But then, I saw you, a human child just as scared and confused as I was. When I looked into your eyes, I didn't feel scared anymore, I was at peace. And when I awoke within you, a part of you, I couldn't wait till you awoke so we could speak. I believed that I finally found a new family, after mine were butchered for something else. With the free time, I shifted through your memories of the last 5 years. So much pain in one night, watching both your parents die in front of you. Everyone who gave their lives to safeguard yours, slaughtered. Their smiles being the last you have to remember them by, just like me. Cerus told me it would probably destroy you; having to work under the Schnee as a mindless puppet. You'd probably never recover from all the pain. And If the Schnee found no use for you, then they would've... I couldn't risk it. I know it sounds selfish but I did it with the best intentions."**

Something Ozpin never expected to see, Katerina actually crying physical tears. That's when he noticed something more remarkable, Jaune's anger almost immediately vanished. He could see the sincerity in Katerina's actions: believing she'd done what she could to protect her partner. Jaune embraced her.

She sobbed quietly into his chest, grateful he didn't hate her.

Jaune knew her personality; an over-protective sister. She feared Jaune wouldn't handle the truth so lightly at such a young age, so she waited until now. Said blonde was more surprised how mature she was at such a young age.

He assumed, at first, he was born with her already within him. Yet, now the truth finally came to light. He sought answers, though this wasn't exactly what he expected, but this was what he received. At the very least, now he knew why Gael would always train him, talk constantly about Beacon, keep a watchful eye on him, and why he never showed any sign if affection to him or Jade.

And Jade, if she truly was acting, she did a damn good job. It'd explain why Kat was always playing 'pranks' on the two of them every chance she got. Yet, her love and affection felt so real.

Ozpin sat down at his desk quietly, wondering if Cerus was somewhere watching. Was he grateful, or would he have wanted it some other way? Either case, Jaune knows where and who he descends from, what he is, and if Cerus managed to put a say in before Jaune gave a good swing, it'd make their future plans all the more easier.

"Jaune." Ozpin caught the two teen's attention, his smile completely genuine from watching them, now turned cold and serious. "There is one thing I want to leave you with: all Oni carry a second half of themselves as a way to communicate with the Grimm. They are not born with it though; an Oni must first devour the energy source of a Grimm, taking both its soul and power, leaving behind the empty vessel. In your case, the Schnee somehow forced you to 'absorb' Katerina when she was a Grimm herself. And since you've yet to devour any others before her, your auras bonded, connecting you two for life. From now on, any other soul you devour would just be added power, and for some reason their memories are collected. Before you ask; yes, human, Faunus and Grimm are all equally edible. That is what defines an Oni, the will to consume the life of whatever being is their sin. This is why those of Sera see them as a species entirely in their own category. Though, only one Grimm could ever be your half. With you and Katerina..."

"She's me, and I'm her."

"Exactly. Keep in mind, there exists a taboo amongst the Oni; killing their Grimm half. In doing so, you alone have control. This is the Oni's final mantle; an ultimate sin for their kind. With power responding to one source rather than split among two entities. But would you lower yourself to such a monster that you would kill Katerina just so you could enhance your own power? She who has grown to be a part of you as you are a part of her."

Jaune turned pale, the thought of losing Kat was something he never thought possible, but now there was a way to. Yet in the manner Ozpin described it, a tone of experience could be detected. If that being the case, then did Cerus kill his Grimm half for the sake of power? Or was there a necessity? Either way, there was something his headmaster was hiding, but given his stand on the situation, there was no way he was going to say anymore on the subject. In any case, he gave him more than enough answers.

And plenty they were; a hidden kingdom in Menagerie, a society where the Grimm coexist with humans and Faunus, his real family being royalty, a life in which he was completely observed until he reached beacon, not to mention being one of the last of a once powerful species.

That last one hit him the hardest, many times when he sparred with others he'd be labeled a 'monster' for his abilities, and willingness to push buttons that should never be pushed. An example would be his match with Yang, thankfully it was his own hair, or he wouldn't be having this conversation with Ozpin.

Well, at the very least he had something to be proud of...in a way. To add on, he had family, an uncle with a troubled past and hunger for blood, literally. Perhaps maybe more members all were residing in Menagerie. Speaking of family, there was one thing that bothered Jaune. "I have just one more question, sir. Did you ever see Hetzer again?"

Ozpin hair shadowed his face, his hands gripping his mug tightly. "Yes. She gave me a good beating for not keeping contact, and breaking my promise to her. But by then, she left the tribe, same as I. She was a foot soldier, fighting for the Germani province. Going by a different name."

"And that would be?" Kat asked, her interest slightly caught.

"Summer." Ozpin's tone felt as if he wanted to withhold those words, his lips slightly quivered. "She had grown so much. Still small compared to me, but height wasn't what defined her growth. Though, I wish we met under different circumstances. Could you believe it was a civil war that had us reunite?"

Jaune and Kat were taken back just lightly. Ozpin chuckled at their reaction. "Don't be surprised, Sera is just like any other kingdom, rulers make mistakes. Some foolishly break promises, and tradition. Conservative politicians don't take that sort of thing lightly. Then again, who could blame them? A treaty made by 8 separate cultures in the hopes of ongoing peace, and to prevent future transgressions. But, because of the king at the time, another civil war broke out in the eastern province: Zheng. When Summer's division arrived in Florentiae, I remember the exact amount of florins I spent on this bakery in the shopping districts, after she nearly pummeled me into paste. She had this obsession with cookies; it was a miracle buying her a lifetime's supply was my only sentence, given how badly she wiped the floor with me."

Kat almost laughed her head off, Jaune somewhat chuckled. To think the great headmaster of Beacon being pummeled by his younger sibling, after giving off the impression he was a powerful hunter. Ozpin on the other hand found their laughter to be both annoying and comforting. "Did she have a surname?" Jaune asked.

"Rose."

Both Kat and Jaune had widened eyes at the response they received. Ozpin arose from his chair and made his way to the blonde. "I suppose you don't need me to finish the puzzle. All I ask is you keep this little secret to yourself. Please."

Kat thought it over before nodding. Jaune stood up, face to face with Ozpin. "You've given me more than I asked for, not completely, but bountiful. Now it's my turn to show I can be trusted. I...we won't say a word to anyone."

Ozpin nodded, glad his trust wasn't ill-placed. The day was done, so much info in little time, and Jaune took it so well. Then again, he almost snapped had Katerina not intervened.

With that in mind, he sent the blonde back on his way, Glynda only barely able to keep the pair of huntresses from breaking down his door. Just before he left, the barrier disappeared. Kat's physical form dispersed, allowing Jaune to bid Ozpin farewell before leaving. Just as he opened the doors, he was buried under a group hug, some more forceful than others. Such a wonderful time these kids were having, to think future conflict would be inevitable. Sides will eventually be drawn; Jaune will have to accept a single decision that will affect both the remainder of his species, and the people he would soon rule over. Fixing his uncle's mistakes were one thing, but fighting his friends would only add more to his troubles. For now, he'd allow them to enjoy their lives, while he tried to avoid Glynda and her demanding to know what transpired between the Arc boy.

**-8:30 pm, Beacon Cafeteria- **

Teams RWBY and JNPR sat together after finally finding the blonde knight. Pyrrha being mad over the fact that Jaune didn't at least tell his team where he was going. It took him a while to settle their worries, and avoid Yang's temptation to beat him for making her sister worried. Although, even with her anger settled, she kept bugging him for a rematch. Even though being the winner from the last one, the victory didn't sit right with her.

Luckily, with his head thinking straight, he refused. There was no way he'd fight this brawler now that she knew just what he was capable of.

On that note, he still owed Blake a favor. Her semblance did wonders, especially with confusing the brawler. After spending a day with both teams, he came to the conclusion that only Blake and Ren have a more 'normal' way of thinking. Especially with the shenanigans Nora and Yang come up with. Speaking of normal, school life and homework were starting to take its toll on him. To think teachers would cover so much in so little time. And with people gossiping about him giving up in a fight only made rumors more difficult. Nonetheless, it wasn't like he couldn't handle it, the subjects were easy enough. Grimm studies being the cakewalk, seeing as how he spent the bulk of his childhood around them. In total honesty, it was more the idea of being around humans in general that had him stressed out. After discovering he himself wasn't human, it made being around them all the more awkward. Especially since his people nearly went extinct because of humans.

Jaune wasn't exactly sure how he felt about being a student anymore. His problems weren't just hiding what he was anymore, now he had to worry about Weiss' family and what their intentions are for him, and if the ice princess in general had something to do with it. Then again, Ozpin had all sorts of files belonging to the Schnee, it wouldn't be a big surprise if he came up with backup plans for him. His foreshadowing was rather inhuman in its own respect, though it made him a reliable ally.

Jaune took a moment from his work to take notice of both his team and Ruby's. Yang and Nora were tossing food towards each other. Weiss, Pyrrha and Ren watched, Blake buried herself in her book. The front cover was completely blank, but she was completely into it. Ruby on the other hand was staring at him most of the time. She was one of the only three in Remnant who knows what Kat looks like, and at some point she did ask him for details. In one of their classes, she mentioned her dream of being a huntress for the sake of protecting those who couldn't defend themselves.

That was her reason for coming to Beacon.

Everyone had their motivation for coming to this school; Jaune only came to make Gael proud. Yet now, with what he learned, is there any reason for being here anymore? He glanced to his friends, all of them smiling, laughing, and enjoying life to the fullest. Then his mind was clouded of Romdall, and Roma. His old memories came back in bits and pieces, though he preferred them gone entirely after having his mind filled with screams.

Vale, beautiful and fortified as it was, would never survive an invasion from a Grimm army that attacked in with a strategic mind. Whatever the Schnee have planned for him, with them knowing what he really was, it would no doubt end with them as the victors. Would Remnant be a playground for darkness to once again rule?

No, if it came to that, he vowed to prevent any and all unnecessary deaths. Even if it cost him his own life, he swore to protect his friends.

"Vomit boy!" Yang's voice finally broke him from his train of thoughts, both teams stared at him, waiting for a response. Jaune smiled, putting down his pen and joining their conversation.

**-Menagerie- **

The blistering cold mountains welcomed a long exiled man with its harsh winds. 'Twas to be expected, for a man with his history, not many welcomed him so warmly. Cerus' feet dragging the deep, heavy snow. A small light being his only beacon in this unforgiving weather. Once he reached the light, he made out a small cabin. Before reaching to knock, the door opened, a tall man with short platinum hair, violet eyes, and a heart-warming smile greeted him. "Hello, brother." His voice opposite of what he was expressing.

Once inside, Cerus removed his hood revealing streaks of light grey on his once dark hair. The man who called him brother removed a pot from the fireplace, pouring its contents into a bowl. Upon receiving the nourishment, Cerus glanced to a room with three children, and a woman sleeping beside them. "Your wife?" He asked.

"Yes, Mei. I met her in Zheng, near the ending of the civil war. Her city was completely destroyed in the first counterattack. Ironic it must've been, but I fell for her, and by Lord Monty, she shared the same feelings. Our children were born not too far apart, and they all are my pride and joy. So, Cerus, whatever it is you have to offer, I respectively decline. I already made it clear to the council that I will not accept the throne. Nor will any of my children." The man's glare was not too harsh, but it sent a strong message. Cerus merely took another spoonful, while a smile of his own appeared. "My heart is overjoyed to see you as well, Nikolai. I've not seen you since you voted my exile. It's good to see my baby brother still living."

"Are you mad?" Nikolai's hands shifted cautiously beneath the table as he asked. Cerus chuckled quietly "No, I deserved my exile. I bear no grudge towards you."

His hands released their grip on the blade hidden beneath the table, somewhat confused. "Yes, and you being here shows how well you follow the terms of your exile." Both men shared a small round of laughter before enjoying the long overdue reunion.

"So, tell me of the outside world, how does it compare to Sera?" Nikolai closed the door to his sleeping family, opening a small hidden safe in the walls the cabin. Taking out a large bottle with clear liquid.

"Ah, Vodka." Cerus commented.

Nikolai placed two small glasses on the table, pouring the bottle's contents in each. "Just like old times. Nothing but the best, made here in the Urals." Both raised a glass, before gulping. Their faces soured for a moment before breaking into laughter. Cerus coughing just a bit, Nikolai refilling both glasses.

"The outside is more advanced than our kingdom, but they rely too much on their technology. From what my informants have given me, their main weapon resource is nearly exhausted, and the newly developed weapons have major flaws. Yet the Schnee want to continue forward with their plans. If we were to go to war, they'd fall in less than a month."

Nikolai withheld another laughter, of course his older brother would make that remark. He drank again, glancing to the window. The snow storm settled for a while, being up here was better than having his children grow up in a city. A nice quiet, isolated home. No soul here to judge. Especially with tensions that still haven't died down with people from Zheng.

"My eldest daughter, Natasha, she has my looks, and her mother's carefree attitude. My son, Yao, has his mother's looks, and according to my wife, a cold attitude like his old man. But my youngest one, Meiling, she is just a bundle of joy. Lazy most of the time, yet the life of the family. The fact that the Tenko has allowed you to return now of all times, I can only assume our kingdom will be seeing the heir to the throne very soon?" Nikolai returned his glance to Cerus, their smiles completely gone.

"Yes, in a few months, all Remnant will fall into another age of bloody war. Of course, this one will be, just like before, caused by humans. And when the world collapses, Sera will expand again, reclaiming what was lost long ago. The Oni will once again stand above all else."

...

...

...

After a moment of silence, they broke out in laughter. "You believe the boy would agree to it?!"

"No, I've watched him for 17 years. He's an honest and kindred soul, more willing to provide aid than conquer a weakened world. But, I think we need more enlightening news rather than all this talk of death. Besides, what I came here for is this; to finally drink beside my brother."

Nikolai smiled and raised his glass. "I'll drink to that."

"To Sera." Both raised their glass, then continued until they finished the entire bottle. Leaving Cerus passed out on the table, much to his host's annoyance. Nikolai lifted him up, carrying him to the couch by the fireplace. Setting him down gently. A nostalgic feeling won him over, family members passed out from drinking, predictions of the future.

A woman with hazel eyes and braided black hair yawned as she made her way to her husband. Stopping midway upon noticing the passed out man in their living room. "Uhh...Niko, who's your friend?" She asked.

"Cerus."

When she heard that name, her face grimaced completely. "What is he doing here?! Do you know what the council will do to us if they discover him here!?" She kept her voice from rising any louder as to not waking her children, yet not so soft that her point wasn't made.

"The Tenko allowed his return, whether people are in favor or not, he's an Oni like me and our children. Sera is an Oni's only safe haven. Besides, you and I both know what he's been through for the last 20 years. He came to warn me of what the outside world might be reduced to, and how our missing ruler will come home in just a few more months. When the time arrives I will stand by our king. It is my duty as an Oni, and younger brother, to watch over Cerus as well." He gestured to his passed out brother, kicking him gently. Cerus reacted with a small mumble, leaving Nikolai the urge to see how heavy a sleeper he was. Coming from families of heavy drinkers, there was no way Cerus was completely out. "Honey?" His wife called sweetly to him. "Let's 'introduce' him to the kids." Her tone was menacingly sweet, and tempting.

A smirk spread across both their faces. Nikolai called out "Kids, how'd you like to meet another family member?"

...no response

"He's from Romana."

...again, no response. It was at this moment, Mei stood away from the door entrance while her husband readied his final card.

"He just came back from the Outside world, he's your uncle, and an Oni, just like us!"

It was at that moment that three pair of feet made running noises just before jumping unto their half-asleep uncle. Bombarding him with both questions, and laughter. Mei and Nikolai left to prepare dinner, Cerus only watched as his brother tried his best to hide a smile. These kids before him, they all resembled their parents. Just as Jaune resembled his own parents, and Cerus' daughter taking on mostly her mother's looks.

His daughter, just the thought of his own rejecting him, blaming him for the death of her mother. He didn't expect anything different though, after all, he was the one who killed her.

**-Beacon, team JNPR's room- **

Ren had fallen asleep almost as quickly as his head touched the pillow. Nora followed, forgetting to remove her casual cloths. Pyhrra talked to Jaune for a few minutes before she as well decided to turn in for the night.

Jaune on the other hand couldn't sleep, all that he was told couldn't be processed in a single sleep. On that note, he now had to come up with some story to make sure Ruby would stay quiet, at least until he could trust his friends well enough to tell them. When it came down to it; Vesta was the only one he and Kat agreed on telling. Pyrrha, Ren, and Blake were closer than most, Yang and Nora were out without question. Ruby was too young to understand, and Weiss was also out for obvious reasons. And, although they seemed like decent enough people, he still wanted to make sure he could trust them.

Just as he was about to try and get some shut-eye, a message on his scroll pinged. He opened the message, reading to himself.

_\- Jaune, _

_I've decided to call in that favor you promised. Tomorrow is Saturday, so, meet me at the airship dock. 9:00 am_

_Blake_

Well, she sure did call in favors pretty quick. Nonetheless, he promised her. So he'd honor it, replying with:

_\- ok, it's a date. See you then._

_Jaune_

Oh how he felt he would regret that the next day, what he didn't know was on the other side of the hall, the B in team RWBY had covered herself in her sheets after reading his message. Unaware of a single, still awake team member.


	6. Trust

**Let me start off with this; there are very, VERY few canon pairings that catch my interest. If I had to list the names of all my favorite crack pairings, that list would have more words than all my stories combined. So, yes, I am a fan of crack pairings. My fleet of ships is massive, unpredictable and always downright funny in many ways. And yes Yaoi and Yuri also sail with me. There are, however, three OTPs I have for RWBY that lead the Remnant fleet so far. JaunexNeo &amp; JaunexEmerald are two of them, but I have other stories for them. This is for that one ship leading of all my favorite RWBY pairings. I'll let you readers try and predict who it is...it probably won't be clear until a few more chapters, but I do plan to build on it. Enjoy this new chapter. **

**-Menageire, Ural Mountains-**

Although the sun's light had yet to rise over the Ural Mountains, Cerus readied himself to leave. Seeing his younger brother after 12 years gave him more than enough confidence to face the Tenko now. The two had their own views on how Sera should be ruled, and where the Oni stands amongst the three other species that share Remnant. But, in the end, they were still family and some bonds could never be torn no matter the blow. Believing his brother and his family to be asleep, he tried to leave quietly, only to have a small hand tug on his coat. He turned to find the youngest of his nieces; Meiling. She had her grandmother's platinum hair, two side braids, and violet eyes. Judging by her wavering eyes, she was still under the sandman's spell, yet her curiosity won over. "Uncle, are you leaving?" She mumbled, still fighting off the urge to sleep.

Cerus kneeled down to her eye level, giving her a smile "Yes, I am needed in Romana."

Meiling's eyes were wide awake, glancing to the floor while sighing disappointingly.

"What's wrong?" Cerus asked. She looked up to him, twiddling her fingers nervously. "Dad says we'll need to go to Florentiae when the new king arrives. And when he does, our loyalty to him must be unquestionable. We are to be his aid in ruling Sera. My dad said that only an Oni can be the ruler of Sera, is that why we're born? To be rulers without a say of what we want?"

Cerus was surprised, a normal 9 year old doesn't think of these things. Then again, she wasn't technically normal, but it still came as a surprise. Cerus sighed, and placed his hand on her head, ruffling her hair. "Your father was right, you are something else."

Meiling smiled for a moment before her uncle answered her question. "We, the Oni, were chosen by the citizens of Sera to rule over them. Our family, being the last of our kind, bears a responsibility of keeping the history of our people from dying off. But, we are not born to rule over anyone. Our decision to inherit the throne is entirely up to us. We, just as the humans, Faunus and Grimm have the same right: to live the life we are given to the best we can."

Cerus picked her up, carrying her back to her room, "To bed now, a growing girl needs her sleep."

Meiling yawned softly, and gave in. Her innocent thoughts reminded Cerus of someone else he needed to make amends with. The relationship between he and his daughter was severed years ago, refusing to speak to him unless he had orders from the Tenko. But now that their assignment was almost over, would she allow him to be a part of her life, or would his daughter continue to harbor hatred? Cerus left his brother's home, pacing calmly down the mountain.

He figured the trip back would take too long if he decided to walk the rest of the way back. He raised his hand in the air, and snapped his fingers. The sound echoed throughout the mountain, stopping any and all moving objects in their path. The river's water felt like smooth glass, the birds above just hovered. "Now I have all the time in the world." He mumbled, making the long trip back to his home city, all the while his mind was clouded with a single question. 'Could you ever forgive me, Emerald?'

-**Cargo ship, Destination: Vale-**

Emerald stared towards the early morning sky; the sun had still not risen to wake the world. She watched the stars just as she did in times forgotten, wondering how her life would be once her assignment was over. She had accustomed to being a thief, working for a criminal mastermind. Could she adjust to living as she once did, or would she break? Any option was better than having to face her old man. She held in her hand a small necklace, another present he somehow delivered directly to her, never once forgetting her birthday. The man was determined, but she felt the idea of forgiving him was next to near impossible.

A cold hand gripped her shoulders, causing her to draw her weapon. Only to greet her annoying partner, grinning widely at her. "Yo, it's just me...not that it makes any difference."

She found herself grinning while sheathing her blade.

"What're you doing up so early?" Her partner asked.

"Just thinking about…things." She replied.

"That's dangerous."

*smack*

"Hey!"

Emerald turned away, Mercury rubbing the back of his head. "Geez, girls are weird." Before he descended back into the ship, Emerald had a thought she couldn't shake, so she spoke. "Hey Mercury, say there was an order you didn't want to follow, but you needed to because it's an order from your superior, yet if you followed it; the things you held dear would be lost for good. What would you do?" Her question had a reason behind it, though this being the first conversation where the two weren't bickering about something, Mercury answered it the way any boy would. "I'd follow orders. If I agreed to be a part something, then that means I'd need to go through with any and all orders given to me. Now get in and go back to sleep, if you don't rest enough, I'm the one who truly suffers from your nagging." He then managed to slip quickly back inside. Emerald smiled deviously, thinking of many ways to get him back. Though just as quickly, her smile faded, for soon she'd show the world that her kind wasn't a fairy tale, and by Monty she would make sure the tears of her forgotten ancestors would be avenged. There was no doubt she felt proud being part of something that was completely disregarded by the four known kingdoms, though there were still some things even she couldn't quite understand. Even so, her superiors ordered her to 'cover' her tracks once her old man made his move, which was the reason behind her strange question, though probably not as her partner interpreted it.

Thinking back, she couldn't believe he killed her mother, someone he dearly loved, broke traditional laws to marry her, accepted abdication just so the two could have a life together. His actions caused a great rift between them, and even if she left the life of a criminal, she'd still live in conflict if he was always near her.

On another note, she looked out to the color lights of Vale, and just beyond the city, a large tower allowing those who travel to automatically know; Beacon Academy is here. Her cousin and future king was attending that school. Hopefully by now, knows full well his past and future. She couldn't help but wonder how much he changed since their last exchange of words. Granted the two were very young, she still had him in memory.

Her mind drifted back to her father, her initial outburst to his truth left her with questions she wanted to pummel out of him, but first reactions were loud and violent. Was there a chance he had regrets for killing his wife? There were times she wouldn't explore these thoughts to the point where she realized she was becoming just like him; reacting to everything with emotional driven actions rather than logical thinking. Emerald stared back at the stars before muttering quietly "You'd better hope I don't kill you when I see you old man."

**-Beacon, Saturday morning: 8:20 am-**

For the first in many years Jaune had a great night sleep, dreaming of the kingdom in Menagerie. Wondering what the people were like, if there were more like him, and more importantly, would there be more answers to the still many questions he had? Either way, he'd have to put those thoughts on hold; he remembered a date was planned today. He removed his pajamas, which consisted of a plain white shirt with blue pants. Taking a quick shower was always the best way to wake up. The cold water splashing against his face soothing his troubled thoughts, though every time he looked at his arms, legs, or torso Ozpin's words reminded him; he wasn't human. Of course it was a hard truth to take in, but all things considered, it made sense when reflecting upon it. Most humans wouldn't share a body with a Grimm, nor could they 'take' memories after killing someone or the ability to 'eat' opponents. Speaking of Kat...

**_"So, you've met some decent girls here, any thoughts on who you want as your queen?"_** Jaune's eyes turned to Kat who was also with him, his reaction was both shock a near yelp had she not placed her hand on his mouth and revealed white bikini-like armor plates. Another trick this girl had was configuring her exoskeleton any way she wanted. **_"Relax would you, I've done this many times before. You should be used to it by now."_** She whispered, grinning at his deepened blush. Jaune quickly reached outside for a towel and covered up his most important region. "What do you mean by queen?"

**_"According to the headmaster, you're the heir to a kingdom's throne, so naturally you'd need a queen. Any of the current contacts catch your interest?" _**

Jaune's blush deepened, shaking his head violently. "N-n-no, they're my friends. Besides, it's too soon to even think of that." Kat on the other hand decided to play this out. **_"Look, this is how I see it: Vesta already has my vote. She's cute, well-mannered, and knows fully well your situation with the Grimm. Hell, the three of you raised a Beowolf cub together. Blake is quiet most of the time, and her stealth could use some work. She's hiding something, we both know that much. Other than that she also has my vote. Nora; denied for obvious reasons. Yang...is very maternal towards her sister, life of the party, except when she tries her puns. But I don't think she's the type to settle down. Pyhrra seems pretty descent, she could be a runner-up. Ruby...I wouldn't tempt Ozpin's wrath if you even try to put the moves on her, adding to that; she may be only 2 years younger, but you shouldn't stray from the path Jaune." _**She finished with her hand on Jaune's shoulder.

"And Weiss?"

His question received a glare from her that read 'really?' He tried shrugging the whole idea, but Kat was determined to get an answer from him. Until a soft knock on the door broke their conversation.

"Jaune, you ok in there?" The voice belonged to none other than the hammer-wielding bundle of energy that is Nora. Jaune quickly turned off the shower, forgetting something very important before putting on pants and exiting the bathroom. Just as he opened the door, Nora's eyes widened. For on Jaune's torso, and what seemed to extend to his back, were black marks. A perfectly symmetrical symbol, one of which he managed to keep hidden up until now. Leaving both at a loss for words, until Jaune eventually pulled Nora into the bathroom, closing the door behind them. She blushed slightly, being the first time alone with a guy that wasn't Ren. As she tried to speak Jaune placed a finger over her lips.

"Before you ask, these are...part of a special ability I have, I'll promise to...make you pancakes when Ren can't if you swear to never tell anyone about this." Luck being on his side, just the thought of never losing a day of pancakes had Nora nodding without hesitation. And while Jaune wasn't exactly lying about the mark, it was better if people knew little to nothing about it. Said blonde glanced to his scroll's clock, realizing he only had 10 minutes to get to the air docks, he left Nora with "If anyone asks you, I went to the city with Blake." He left putting on a black shirt while running out, waking Ren slightly before he closed his eyes again.

Blake was reading her book when the last call for the airship signaled. She glanced around one more time for any sight of the blonde. With nary a golden-haired boy in sight, her day wasn't starting off well. Just as she boarded the plane, a slight chill crawled up her spine, turning quickly to catch Jaune panting behind her. "Sorry I'm late." He muttered with what little breath he had left. His ability to sneak up on her was starting to become somewhat scary. The two boarded, Jaune barely realizing flying wasn't his favorite mode of transportation. He spent most of the flight next to a trash bin, Blake beside him, hiding any giggle she had towards his weak stomach.

Luckily for him, the airship docked after 30 minutes of unbearable motion sickness, allowing his body to embrace the solid ground of the platform. "Thank goodness." He mumbled.

As he got up, he asked "So, where will our outing take us?"

Blake blushed a bit before answering "There's this book I want, and it comes out today. I had hoped you wouldn't mind accompanying me."

It wasn't what he expected; nonetheless, it was a nice option. A pleasant walk around the city with a cute girl, only on the pretense of going to buy books was a good break from the current unfolding events in Jaune's life.

That would be the case, had he known what book Blake was aiming to buy. Apparently, it was a copy of Ninja's of Love, a smut novel he just so happened to also buy for Kat. He never liked those kinds of books, mainly for the explicit detailing of romance and fluff mixed smut. Sadly, since it was a hot seller, and the newest edition to the series, it was completely sold out on the first day. Blake sat with her head down, a gloom cloud hovering directly above her. Unbeknownst to her, Jaune retrieved a preordered copy. He'd almost forgotten about it had Blake not brought him here.

He glanced to his friend, then to the valuable piece of literature in his hands.

**_'Don't you dare.' _**Came a soft growl from inside his head. Kat could sense what her partner wanted to do, but that book was the next issue! So much new material, how else would she mess with Jaune?

_'Tell you what, I'll buy you another issue the minute it's available. In the meantime, you can look for any series that catches your interest. Deal?'_ He offered, waiting behind the girl until his partner gave permission.

Any series?! That meant assortment if material to have her fun, but this book was one of her favorites, especially when she had Jaune read it to her word for word. **_'Fine! But you better make progress with her if that's why you're doing this.'_**

Jaune shook his head at the perverted nature his partner had, needless to say, she was right about her argument earlier; If he was to be the ruler of a kingdom, no doubt he would be asked to find a wife, and there was no way he would just marry some random woman.

Yet, only now did Jaune actually realize what he was thinking about; marriage, and ruling a kingdom. Questions such as; could he rule over people, and did he really want to be a king in the first place? Being an almost extinct species, while surrounded by the group that caused it is enough to deal with. Yet now there was some kingdom waiting for him to take the throne.

Jaune cleared his mind, not wanting to deal with this right now. Instead, he decided to lighten the mood around his friend. He tapped her shoulder, her head turned slowly, and then almost quickly when she saw the book she wanted in his hands. "Here, I got you a little somethi-" he was cut by a fierce hug that kept him from getting enough air. The attack caught him by surprise to the point where he fell back. It was quite the scene, but after enough 'thank you's from her, they were able to leave the store and move on with their little outing.

Blake was glued to her new book, yet somehow able to navigate the crowds on the street. Jaune's wallet was drained, carrying a nice set of books for his other half to keep occupied. Thankfully, this one wasn't in the same genre as Ninja's of love, but knowing Kat, it had some sort of incantation she would want to him to chant when summoning her. Aside from taste in books, most of them were actually pretty cool.

After a while, Blake finally set the books aside and converse with the blonde. They stopped for a second in a coffee shop, it wasn't her intention at first, but opening up to Jaune was easier than expected, especially when the two shared a past neither of them would consider a 'happy childhood'.

Both were bullied, outcasted, and lost loved ones. Of course, there were things both hid from one another, but that was fine. They agreed that everyone has their secrets, some bigger than others. However, there was one detail about her, that she yet to tell her own team, which she revealed only to him.

"You're a Faunus?" Jaune wasn't taken back, because he suspected it from the beginning. "I kinda knew that already..."

Blake was more shocked than confused, to think she was figured out. Thinking back on it, this was Jaune, the boy was perceptive in many ways, and his actions in combat; though only witnessed once and somewhat questionable, are a mystery on its own right. Still, she wanted to know how he figured it out.

"How did you...?"

"Reading people's aura was kind of a hobby I had in Sigma Academy, I mean, I had all the time in the world. Also, keep in mind Sigma has an equal number of Faunus and humans attending, so naturally I'd be able to tell the difference between the two. Believe it or not, a human's aura has a different feel to it than a Faunus'."

To say she was amazed would be an understatement; Jaune had yet again found a way to astound. Not only can he identify Grimm, mimic a person's semblance, but now there was this; reading aura. An ability that wasn't a rarity, though not really practiced as much. Yet he's able to use it to separate a human from a Faunus.

"So, I just learned a little secret about you, I'm guessing this is the part where I tell you something about me?" He asked

Blake nodded shyly, not wanting to look demanding. Jaune thought about it for a moment before he decided to give her the pleasure of picking out what she wants to know. "I'll let you ask."

She reflected on her thoughts before asking "Not to sound rude, but what are you? From the moment you unleashed that barrier during the initiation, you've had this intense, lingering influence surrounding you, almost like a second person was inside you. And please, no lies amongst friends."

Oh how Jaune knew he was in trouble. The power he used during that fight was Katerina's own technique, he tried mimicking it a few times before, but for some reason the results were 'explosive'. He could mimic just about any semblance easily, but Kat's was by far the hardest one. Jaune stared at Blake's amber eyes, she was slightly intimidating, and determined to unravel the secret that is; Jaune Arc. Just as his time almost ran out, a few familiar auras pinged just close by. And judging by the angle; they were spying on them. He grinned widely.

"Before we discuss anything else, I need you to direct your gaze to my left. Not too quickly, just enough so that they think you're browsing."

Though confused, Blake did so, only to be slightly annoyed when her eyes caught sight of a yellow ahoge sticking out from a corner. Her team, or just Yang, was following them. It didn't surprise her, but it would interrupt the plans she had.

Meanwhile, teams RW(B)Y and (J)NPR were keeping a close eye on the pair across the street. Pyrrha and Ruby found themselves gripping the wall to the point of cracking it. Yang and Vesta couldn't help but snicker of how they were reacting. Nora was being unusually quiet, which was setting Ren off to the point where he actually encouraged Nora to join Yang and Vesta in their shenanigans. Weiss was just there to see things unfold, relationships between classmates was a subject she wasn't particularly interested in, if anything she was just there out of curiosity as to how events would play.

"I can't believe he did it again, after he promised not to run off without telling us." Pyrrha complained. A bit hurt her partner actually broke a promise. Ruby nodded in agreement.

Jaune chuckled lightly, while Blake was pressing her fingers to her forehead, fighting the urge to go and lash out on her teammates for stalking them. She expected this from Yang, but when Jaune mentioned both their teams, it was a wonder how they were able to call themselves hunters in training. Trying to get away from them would prove a challenge, especially with a motivated Yang.

"Want me to distract them with an illusion?" Jaune asked, smiling lightly.

"You can do it? How?"

"I met this girl in Sigma. She was really cute, mixed color hair and eyes, a bit sadistic, but never spoke once. Had a weakness for sweets though, I swear if she and Ruby ever met...any way, her semblance was illusions, came in handy when one of us was 'fashionably late' to class. Problem is; the copies won't move, and Yang isn't the type to be patient. So, you up for a little run?"

His answer was a playful grin, and nod from Blake.

A good thirty minutes passed and they didn't move one tiny inch. Ren was the first to take notice, while Yang tried her best to wait and see what would happen.

"They're not moving!" She growled, her impatience was the near the point of revealing their position.

"I got it!"

The group paled as Nora had skipped past them to where their targets were mingling. Ruby rushed to stop her using her speed, but accidentally tripped. Launching herself straight towards Blake and Jaune, only to literally shatter the illusion, and break the table. The others arrived on scene; Yang couldn't tell if she was impressed by the fact that he was able to detect them after she had Weiss go to the trouble of hiding their presence, or angered by the fact that he used this decoy to give them the slip. Either way, this little trick proved Weiss' theory; Jaune acquired more power over the years. Which made him all the more of a candidate for a sparring partner for her. Only one thought came to everyone's mind; where are they now?

The two teens in question managed to cover good ground in those thirty minutes. Arriving by the docks in record time, both gasping for air, but laughing all the same. Wishing they could've seen the look on Yang's face when the illusion broke. They sat by the pier, near the loading docks for shipping crates.

"So, are you going to answer my question?" Blake asked

He didn't answer.

Jaune was arguing with himself...literally. He and Kat were fighting tooth and nail over what to tell her. Kat, obviously, wanted to erase her memory quick and easy. **_'She won't think about it again...probably._**' she argued. Although, it would only cause more problems if she suddenly started forgetting things other people witnessed with her.

Jaune wanted to partially tell her the truth. It wasn't until Blake shook him did his argument with Kat end, leaving him to decide what to do. So, he took a leap of faith.

"Blake, I'm going to trust you with something, not even Ruby has the full details on...I'm not...what most people think I am."

Confused by his statement, she asked "what do you mean?"

"I'm not...human."

Blake's eyes widened "You're a Faunus!?"

Jaune shook his head.

"Then, what?"

Kat readied herself, while Jaune spoke of everything; Sera, and his own species. At first he did the same thing Ozpin did; asking of her prior knowledge towards the subject: Oni. She was confused at first, but admitted to have known what little she could read on it. He then proceeded to tell her everything Ozpin told her regarding the subject, leaving the headmaster and his personal background out of it. At first, Blake looked at Jaune the way any would after hearing such a farfetched tale. That was until Jaune remembered how Kat was able to hack into the headmaster's computer and 'apprehend' a copy of his initiation video. He pulled out his scroll, and played the video for her.

To say she was shocked would be putting it lightly on the situation. Not only did she earn Jaune's trust to the point he would share this much, but there was this whole other kingdom where equality between the humans and Faunus wasn't the main problem amongst them. Not to mention the biggest surprise was that the Oni from the fairy tales of the Faunus textbooks were actual living beings. The boy sitting beside her was neither human, Faunus, nor Grimm; but a living breathing remnant of an almost forgotten species. Her mind was on the verge of breaking down after trying to process everything all at once.

"You ok." Jaune asked worryingly, waving his hand in front of her face for a reaction

"Yeah, just taking it all in...By the way, I hate to ask for so much, but would it be alright if I met her? It's just...it's not every day a fairy tale is proven fact." She asked, a bit shyly.

"Umm, Kat and I aren't exactly on speaking terms right now."

"Kat?"

"Yea, her name's Katerina. But I call her Kat for short."

"Oh...so, why aren't you two on speaking terms?"

**_"It's cause now, besides Little Red, you know about us too!"_** Blake jumped unto Jaune's arms when the sudden addition startled her. When she looked up, she saw Katerina's full form, however she was dressed in Beacon academy uniform.

"Kat, why and where did you get that." Jaune asked, unaffected by her appearance, knowing full well she'd somehow do something like this eventually.

To this, Kat merely twirled playfully for a second. **_"I 'borrowed' this from Pyrrha, I'm sure she won't mind. Besides; I actually look somewhat human. So I might blend in. I gotta say though, this outfit's a little too big."_** Her attention then turned hostile as she kneeled to face Blake. **_"I'll only say this once; you don't tell anyone about us, I won't erase your memory. And if you hurt Jaune in any way, my punishment will make you beg for something as sweet as death."_** Her voice edged slightly too murderous. Blake nodded quickly, and that's when Kat's expression brightened, unintentionally frightening the two teens**_. "Good, now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to leave the both of you alone. Enjoy each other's company."_** She finished with a playful wink while dispersing.

Only then did they realize Blake was still in his arms. She quickly got off, blushing heavily. Jaune blushed too, just not as hard. "D-d-don't pay her any mind, she can be a little like a baby sister mixed with Yang. But much worse for me."

"How so?"

Jaune grinned "because I can't get her out of my mind."

Although a horrible joke, even Blake couldn't help but giggle at his attempt.

When the time came to return to school, on some strange spark of luck, their teams were waiting for the next transports too. The expressions were mixed; Jaune and Blake had playful grins, Yang was slightly pissed, Ren's face was a stoic as ever, while the rest turned away in embarrassment.

After the docks signaled the time to board, Blake and Jaune were surrounded by their friends while Yang began interrogating the two. "So, care to tell us why the both of you ran off on a secret rendezvous?"

"We didn't go anywhere secretly; I told Nora where we were going." Jaune inquired, all eyes glancing to the bubbly bomber while she avoided eye contact.

"Nora? Why didn't you tell us?" Ren asked, a bit annoyed he didn't realize sooner why she was so quiet the whole time.

To which she shrugged her shoulders "No one asked me."

The whole group, besides Yang, groaned as the whole ordeal could've been avoided. There was the inevitable scolding from Weiss over properly informing teammates, Pyrrha and Ruby questioning Blake over what transpired between her and Jaune. Receiving a light blush from the two.

Vesta, Nora and Yang were busy reading the manga series Jaune bought, completely absorbed in the story line. Ren drifted off to sleep, after a whole day chasing down his team leader, he needed a well-deserved nap.

While the girls questioned Blake some more, Jaune gazed out unto the Emerald Forest. It was a good thing he stopped by a pharmacy to pick up something to ease his motion sickness. Surprisingly, it helped a lot; he could enjoy the view without the need to rid the contents of his stomach. Just as he turned away, a small glimpse of black caught his eye. It flew above the forest, then disappeared into the clouds. His childish curiosity started pushing him to investigate; luckily his common sense was in working order. It told him; sleep today, investigate tomorrow.

Once the group finally reached their dorms, Jaune's curiosity overcame his common sense. While his team and Ruby's conversed, he managed to swipe one of Nora's hidden sap jars, and sneak away from the current conversation. He didn't just leave without a notice, exactly where he was sitting was a note that read; I'm gonna get some fresh air.

Sadly, his escape didn't go unnoticed. Just as he did, she snuck away from her friends unnoticed and followed him closely, though using her newly acquired glyph to hide her presence. Little did she know, this evening was going to be one she'd never forget, nor forgive for the intense hike she had to go through in heels.

**-Emerald Forest, high mountains-**

Upon reaching the peak, Jaune took a moment to catch his breath after a long walk. He sat near the edge, enjoying the passing breeze, while a certain heiress watched him from afar. Using her glyph to hide her presence, she pursued the blonde when he slipped out of the school undetected. It was easier to hide one person than a whole group. This boy's power was well to be admired, among other features he possessed: kindness, understanding, unbiased, and pure in a sense. He had the strength to stand up to Yang, yet when it came to flirting, he crumbled in either shyness, or he didn't understand much of it. But there was something he was hiding from everyone; it was the way he looked at people in general. His emotions swerved between anger and sympathy. There was another point about him that bothered her; the small glimpse of some girl that appeared when he used his unknown glyph. It was as if the current form he had now was just a facade. Her thoughts snapped back to reality as the blonde knight rose up. He removed a large jar of sap from his backpack, removing the lid and placed it by the cliff, waiting for something.

Her heat skipped a feat beats when a Nevermore descended from the clouds, landing by the ledge near Jaune. It nudged him a bit while he stroked its beak, mumbling something. Weiss didn't know what to think, this boy was interacting with a Grimm as if it was his friend. Not only did she feel discomfort, but curiosity over this situation was winning her common sense. She wanted to get closer, observe at a more comfortable location. Sitting atop a tree branch had its cons, especially when the branch is old and snaps after a few minutes.

Weiss fell hard, letting out a small but clear yelp. While she got up to dust herself, she realized that her stealth was compromised. The blonde and Grimm stared worryingly at her, said heiress reacted on impulse, and ran.

"Weiss! Wait!" Jaune called out to her, but she had already made hast towards the school.

"Oh great, we're screwed."

Downhill was harder than most speculations, going down in incredible speeds, while dodging anything that could throw you off balance. Weiss neared the clearing when she tripped on a branch, however before landing face-first on the ground; a pair of talons caught her shoulders.

Confused and scared, she glanced up to find herself again caught by a Nevermore. The overgrown raven flew to the top of a tree, freeing the heiress. Though leaving her trapped a few good feet above the ground. "Jaune! Get me down from here, right now!" She hollered whilst gripping the tree tightly. Said blonde was apparently riding the Nevermore, which landed on the tree next to her. After realizing the scene, Jaune rolled his eyes playfully.

"Oh, this situation is such a cliché. Wouldn't you agree Weiss?"

"Just shut up and get me down!" Her voice mixed with fear and anger.

"First, let me explain about him." He gestured to the Nevermore.

"I'm not listening to anything you have to say!" Weiss was nearing the point of fainting. Being up so high and so close to a Grimm was frightening enough.

"Fine! I won't say a word, but at the very least, let us show you." He extended his arm, hoping her mind would open just a bit.

Seeing no alternative, she received his arm and was pulled up on the Nevermore, behind him. Its feathers were, oddly, soft and comfortable. "Ok, now get me down. This. Instant." She clearly demanded.

"Set us down, GENTLY." Jaune was worried, this wasn't the first time he had someone riding with him, but Weiss was unaware of what he was. Then there was the case if she told anyone, which led to Kat begging him to erase the heiress' memory, continuously.

Said Nevermore had other plans in mind, it opened its wings slowly, "see, he's friendly..." Sadly, Jaune's attempts to calm her were cut short as the Nevermore used great momentum to launch itself into the air. Weiss screaming to the top of her lungs, nearly falling off had Jaune not caught hold of her. "What are you doing!?" The blonde's words were easily ignored as it began doing tricks of his own, spinning, diving, and the occasional first time flight terrors. Many times it nearly crashed into trees, lakes, even cliffs before somehow gliding past them.

"Thanks for nothing you overgrown-" before he could finish, it dived straight down for a good few seconds at its highest speed. By then Weiss wrapped her arms around Jaune's chest, keeping a tight grip. "I'm sorry! Ok! Is that what you wanted to hear?! I'm sorry!"

It heard Weiss' pleas, with a smile printed on its beak; its flying grew more gentle. Soaring slowly through the evening sky, Jaune sighed, finally relaxing from the Grimm's playfulness. The heiress opened a single eye, then both opened to gaze upon the territory above the clouds. The wind was gentler, the clouds so close she couldn't help but reach out for them. Her hands parting the white fluffs that drifted past every day. Jaune chuckled when she quickly wrapped her arms around him when her eyes gazed below them. They may've been above the ocean, but it was still frightening, and somewhat exciting.

"Ok, I admit it...this is a cliché." Both teenagers laughed while enjoying the rest of the ride. It lasted another hour before they landed back of the mountain peak. Jaune got off first, then helped Weiss dismount.

"That was amazing, he's amazing." Weiss complimented the Nevermore, while gently stroking its beak. The experience was unlike any other she ever had; seeing the world through its eyes. It cawed at her, startling the heiress in the process. Jaune chuckled before translating "He says you're cute when you're scared."

"You can understand him?" She asked, her eyes now glued to the blonde.

"I was raised near a Grimm forest, adapting was the key to surviving. In this case, understanding how to read their reactions...plus, I was kinda thinking the same thing he was."

The Nevermore was cleaning its wings while watching a young heiress try and take down a teasing blonde. It was quite a sight, relying mainly on her endurance rather than drawing her weapon. At some point she almost caught him, but it was just a clone. Which only made the hunt all the more fun. It continued until Weiss eventually collapsed from exhaustion, Jaune on the other hand was still as energetic as Nora on tree sap.

"What's wrong princess, all out of breath?" He teased while towering over her.

"I'm...gonna...kill...you...Arc."

She was obviously unable to head back to the dorms on her own, much less get up. Jaune sighed, then proceeded to picking her up bridal style. The heiress would've rejected his actions had her stamina not already been depleted, and his chest not been so comfortable and warm. She pressed her head towards his chest, falling asleep to the lullaby of his strong heart beats. The Nevermore watched as the two descended down the mountain, its eyes fixed solely on Weiss. This was the first time a human actually rode it, much less interacted with one such as how it did today. The feeling of sharing the joy of flying with something other than another Nevermore was a whole new experience. After the events of today, which were mostly deafening screams, it decided then who it's partner would be. Granted it wasn't traditional, but then again, great things come from breaking some rules.

When they reached the door rooms, Jaune's luck was still by his side. No one was out, and it still wasn't past curfew. Although, once he reached team RWBY's dorm with his own team inside, and Weiss snuggling tighter in his arms...a colorful set of emotions and reactions surfaced all at once.

**-Menagerie; Romana Province- **

Once again, in the city of his birth, Cerus climbed to the top of a mountain which overlooked the surrounding landscape. The city grew in 17 years, slowly, but progressively advancing in both technology and unity. Atop the peak stood an old temple, its stone walls polished to keep its age from showing. Cerus approached the entrance; again with the snap of his fingers, his semblance broke. The guards reacted quickly to the sudden appearance of the intruder, only to stand down once he removed his hood. The two men lowered their pikes and allowed him passage, one of them whispering very subtly "good luck."

The man in question walked deeper into the structure with his head down, just as he did before. The only light in this now darkened passage were the torches. Upon reaching a large door, it opened loudly, allowing a large chamber to be revealed, 8 heavily armored guards stood their posts. Cerus walked past them, each slightly bowing as he approached a familiar.

An old woman, annoyed by the look of her expression, talking with three fully armored men. Two of them dressed in black with their helmets on. The clad in front of them dressed in dark silver, matching the streaks on his hair. His helmet held under his arm, allowing the woman before him to see his mixture of anger and doubt.

"This is unprecedented, Unacceptable." He muttered, keeping his tone at a respectable level.

"The Zheng Province has not recovered after 20 years, and the viceroy assigned by the council was killed by his own people. The citizens still hold a bitter grudge for the actions committed by the armies during the war. A military presence will only strengthen their hatred for us. I know it is not in the Germani code, nor is it morally correct for us to abandon assistance to a province, but there is nothing we can do anymore." The old woman's eyes drifted slightly, noticing the new arrival.

"For that very reason, our soldiers have been providing aid, extending our use of resources. We were providing reconstruction and financial aid, the root of the rebellion factions were almost within our grasp had you not withdrawn our forces..."

"Are you questioning my orders, General?" Her voice hardened.

"No, Holy Tenko. I only wish to express my concerns for Zheng..."

"Your province can no longer extend resources without suffering from it financialy. And recent events have made it abundantly clear that the council's words mean nothing to the rebels. What we need to make amends is what we should've done 20 years ago; follow through with the traditional treaty. When our king returns, he shall marry a woman from Zheng. Our traditions kept our people at peace for over a thousand years, and hopefully it will continue to do so. Sometimes, General, it is wise to admit defeat in battle, than extend unneeded casualties." She then waved her hand to dismiss him. The three men bowed respectfully, and left without saying another word. The General noticed Cerus, they exchanged a respectful nod before the three left the room.

Cerus took the moment to approach the Tenko, who was complaining of her duties. "Politics are so troublesome. Especially when you are forced to be neutral. It's a shame you chose otherwise."

"It's good to see you as well, mother." Cerus replied.

The Tenko grew a small grin, embracing her son after so long. "Welcome back Cerus."

After nearly 12 long years, the two enjoyed a very much deserved reunion. They walked together out of the chamber, the guards around parted as the two walked slowly, but with light in each step. "How is your brother? Has the boy finally decided to give me grandchildren?"

"Yes, I stopped by his home in the Ural Mountains. He's married, with 3 children, all of which are unique in their own ways. The third one almost looks and thinks exactly like you."

"I can only hope he'll allow me to see them before I pass on my title to you, or should I order him to return home?"

"Would it make a difference?"

A small round of laughter was shared, following were discussions of his travels, and how things were playing out in this forgotten kingdom. The two spoke for what seemed like hours, of course, the Tenko took advantage of this opportunity; her eldest son was home after living in exile for causing the conflict in Zheng. Although she showed her disappointment in him, it was still a blessing to see her son again. The two sat down near another chamber, containing an Arachnid hive. She watched the eggs hatch for a few minutes before bringing up a new discussion. "So, how is she?"

"Well, I only met Nikolai's wife for a single day, but..."

"No, no, fool. I mean Emerald. How is my little gem?"

The answer to this particular question weighed Cerus down, "She's...fine."

"You still haven't told her the truth, have you?"

Cerus retrieved a small photo from his coat, a treasure he refused to discard, even after the events unfolded. He handed it to his mother, her emotions mirrored his.

"I did, just not completely. I allowed my daughter to believe I killed her mother in cold blood, because I feel she would live with herself better remembering her mother as someone who loved her dearly, rather than remember her as a traitor to Sera."

Flashbacks of the massacre 12 years ago flooded his mind. His own wife stood amongst the dead settlers of the failed colony; Roma. Blood trickled down her dual kusari-gamas, her emotionless face showed no sign of remorse for her actions. Citizens and their Grimm mutilated in an overkilled fashion, though there was no facial tell, the hatred in her actions was more of tell than anything. She hated his kind, the love she had for him died the day she discovered what he was. Trying to recover that loss, she gave birth to his child, believing it would fix the tore between them. That maybe with a human child, she could love both he and the baby. Little did she know; every child born to an Oni parent is already part of the sinful heritage. 'An inescapable curse' as some humans once said. There was no exception, or escape from it. Her own personal hatred nearly drove her to nearly do the unthinkable had her husband not intervened. But her execrations never ceased, in fact, they grew to a point where she turned on her people. Personally killing the king and queen of Sera, and handing their son over to the Schnee.

Cerus' reaction to his wife's betrayal caused him to attack on blinded rage. Killing her, and doing what any Oni would; he devoured her. The memories he absorbed showed how she truly felt about him and his kind, all the hatred she harbored for his race. Though what hurt him most were her final thoughts before death. A paraphrased quote that his own half once told him; _'you...and your kind deserve to be forgotten'._

**And so the backgrounds and ties of a few more characters are revealed. If any of you get the HUGE reference with Weiss and the Nevermore, the reason was because: my friend loves both HTTYD and RWBY, when she found out about my story, she…'asked' to include a parody like section. I hoped you enjoyed it, and thank you for reading.**


	7. Reunions for Better or Worse

**Sorry for this long awaited chapter, I know I've been more focused on my other fic, but im back with this chaper. It's not as long, but I promise they shall be longer, please do enjoy this chapter.**

**-Beacon, 2nd semester-**

Long nights of studying, early morning training, and sudden clingy friends had Jaune nearly exhausted halfway through the first semester. Many events transpired in that time, some of which didn't settle well with certain students.

Beacon ranks its students in both academic and combat abilities. Leading the top score in close combat, and strategic planning went to the leader of team JNPR. While he shrugged it off as a common achievement, many students found it admirable. Second place in close combat went to Yang, although it chipped a bit off her ego, she still enjoyed the idea of a good fight. Every so often, she'd arrange a class match against the blonde knight, but unlike the first time, it almost always ended in her defeat. With record time too, like most of the students, Jaune studied his opponent's fighting styles before facing them head on. Many students who faced him took great caution to not use their semblance, fearing he'd use it against them. Although, it made little to no difference, seeing as how Jaune would still quite literally wipe the floor with most of them. Yang and Nora enjoyed their spars, even if they hardly ever hit him.

As a certain heiress strolled down the hall to lunch with her team, she began taking note of all the semblances Jaune was able to mimic up to now; Glyphs, Speed, Clones, Shadows, Illusions, Rage(Yang's), Healing, and most recently Polarity. These were more than enough to rank him amongst the seniors, yet he hardly ever used them. He had all this power, but chooses to fight up close with his opponent. And with such a short blade too, when he had a long sword and shield in his room just collecting dust. Then again, Weiss never took into account how much aura he used up on these semblances since they weren't his. She glanced over to the academic rankings for first years, her name at the top and Jaune ranked just beneath hers.

No surprise.

When she searched for Jaune's name the first time around, the scraggly blonde barely made the top fifty. Infuriated for some reason, she began tutoring him until his name appeared in the top ten. Granted he almost always fell asleep, and whined during most of their sessions, her stubbornness kept her from giving up on him. In truth, though never outspoken, she saw Jaune as an older brother; skills and abilities were an obvious. Although, he was lacking in determination, and energy for his studies. Being friends, and knowing full well how much potential he possessed, the young heiress took it upon herself to 'help' the boy rise above the standards set upon him.

She glanced out towards the Emerald Forest, wondering where her partner was. That is to say, not her overly optimistic team leader, but the large beast she began riding.

The events which occurred in the forest continued, though only when neither of them were busy. How Jaune was able to tame a Grimm was a mystery to her, and before riding the Nevermore she never questioned why she wanted to be a huntress; to kill the creatures of the Grimm. Yet, now that she actually befriended one, feelings of doubt were beginning to question the lectures and proclamations that all Grimm were mindless killers.

**-Emerald Forest: High Mountains, 2 months ago- **

The screeches of the Nevermore, and playful laughter of its rider echoed throughout the forest below. After sitting through long lectures, and dealing with the everlasting pressure of her family, Weiss enjoyed riding the Nevermore every single moment, even the near fall she had during the beginning. The first few times she was a bit afraid to approach it, but her youthful curiosity urged her to seek further in this new experience. After the first flight, there wasn't a moment she didn't think about going out there and riding the large beast, feeling the rushing wind against her face. Jaune, being the cause for this sudden addiction, agreed to teach her how to tell apart the Grimm she chose to ride with.

"First and for most, you need to know his name."

"And how exactly would I do that? I doubt he speaks English...or speaks at all." Weiss stated.

Jaune thought of a way to explain it, something insightful yet not too boring or original. "Think of it as a Yin-Yang. While the creatures of Grimm represent darkness, there is a speck of light within them. Just as humans claim they are the light, there is a speck of darkness that lies within them. You are the Yang, he is the Yin; together you balance each other. Seek his permission, his decision will allow your aura to embed itself into him, therefore forging a bond between one another. Only then will you be able to 'speak' to him."

Weiss stared to the Nevermore, then to Jaune with a worried expression. The blonde sighed, then took her hand and gently extended it towards the Grimm.

"Calm yourself, take a deep breath and wait for his permission."

"How will I know if-"

Before she could finish, she felt the Nevermore's beak nudge her palm. She glanced upward, it's eyes closed, awaiting something. Jaune merely grinned. "That was quick. He's opening up to you...now repeat after me, and when you're done channel a small portion of your aura into him."

Weiss nodded, closing her own eyes, and blushing slightly as she could feel the warmth if Jaune's breath in her ear. Just as instructed, she repeated word for word. "With this hand, I shall bind us forever. With this luminary, I shall bring light to your darkness. With this vow, I pledge my loyalty, undying. Hear me now; I ask you to be mine, and mine alone."

Jaune carefully backed away, watching as a small pulse of white aura outlined the heiress, and a black shade of aura on the Nevermore intertwined. Within a single moment, the process was complete, though the aftershock had Weiss collapsing. Jaune reacted quickly, keeping her head leveled as she slowly recovered from the sudden incantation.

"Memnon..." She whispered softly. The Nevermore approached her, reacting to the uttered name.

"His name is Memnon." Weiss' voice trailed to joy for having done it correctly, though slightly weakened from carefully pulsing a fair amount of aura.

Her strength recovered almost instantly as she rejoined her partner. Stroking its beak gently, a proud smile implanted on her lips. For once in her life, she accomplished something no one in her family has done before. Oddly enough, she could partially foretell her partner's gestures or caws, after receiving lessons from the blonde knight. But no voice of any kind, how she knew his name was beyond even her understanding. Though when she recited the enchantment, the Memnon stared at her confusingly, this led to the bigger question. "Jaune...what kind of spell did you make me chant?" She asked, her hands edging for her weapon.

The blonde knight merely laughed nervously while scratching the back of his head. "Hehe...actually all you needed to do was the aura pulse...the chant was more of a...well, think of it as a wedding vow."

And once again, the Nevermore, now known simply as; Memnon, watched as its partner yet again began chasing her friend while chanting eerie notes of upcoming death. The afternoon ended just as before; she collapsed in exhaustion, leaving Jaune to carry her back to their dorms.

**-Beacon, present day- **

As Weiss entered the cafeteria, she couldn't help but wonder how they were still allowed in after the ruckus they made just a few days prior. She noticed the usual spot where her team sat had a missing blonde. Sadly, the one present tried throwing around her casual puns to keep spirits up, leaving only groans and frowns. Upon sitting down, she greeted her friends before asking the obvious, which was generally odd for. "Where's Jaune?" The group, minus one, had just noticed that the blonde knight was absent for most of the day.

While the question echoed among them, Vesta merely kept her head down while stirring her food. Unlike her newfound friends, she enrolled into Beacon under the newly established; Front Line Reconnaissance Corps. She had no team; the hunters under this Vale/Atlas established course trained solo hunters for long, extensive missions. The main purpose for this program is to deal with the White Fang, and several other notable malicious groups.

Yet on this day in particular, she truly wished she had a team. Having to deal with the memory that repeated every single year on the very same day for the last 7 years was more than what she could handle. Today was the anniversary of the Romdall incident, when her home was invaded by creatures of darkness. Screams of innocents who ran for their lives, only to be cut down. Very few managed to escape, her family being one of the last ones to escape. She remembered Mishka being with her during the flight to Volcanium, yet disappeared a year after she discovered their blonde knight was on a separate transport. The location was unknown, but devoted she was to search for him. And in all this time, Vesta could only hope her friend was still alive.

"Vesta?" Blake waved her hand in front of her face, the others staring worryingly at her. "Are you ok?"

She nodded, while giving them a reassuring smile to keep their worries at bay.

"Good, then let's go look for Jaune. He can't just run around all the time without informing us, I can't begin to count the times he's done it this month already." Pyrrha stated as she rose from her spot. Her movements were halted as Vesta clung to her arm. The girl's eyes begged her not to go anywhere.

"Don't, believe me. He needs some time alone right now, today isn't really a pleasant day for him."

The others were beginning to worry, while respecting Vesta's wishes. The way she asked was almost as if she knew why the blonde was absent at the moment. Yang being the first to tread on the subject. "Mind telling us why?"

Over the years that followed after the incident, talking about it only made the nightmares all the more painful and disturbing. More so, what Mishka told her Jaune had to witness as they were leaving. But if these people were to be around him for much longer, they had to know a little about his past. And in truth, it was her past too. "Today is the anniversary...when we watched our settlement burn."

**-Beacon cliffs-**

Jaune was infuriated with the headmaster, first he was asked to skip all his classes and wait by the cliffs, and here he's been waiting since 8:00am. For four hours he stood by the cliffs, just waiting for the silver-haired headmaster. Though in some way, it was a perfect excuse to be alone at least. Today marks the seventh anniversary of the destruction of Romdall, the day he felt the most useless. He was in the middle of the settlement, the center of the massacre. The Grimm only killed and moved on, but Cerus, he became more of a monster than those beasts. Any within his path, those who stood against him were devoured without discretion. In those seven years, one could only wonder how much more he killed. His feelings towards his uncle were confusing; a mixture of anger and sympathy. Near the beginning of the semester, Ozpin said that very soon he'd see Cerus again. With the second semester starting, and the Vytal festival approaching, what plans did his uncle and the Schnee have in store for him? And if he did see his uncle again, what exactly would he say...or do?

"Jaune..."

Now was a good time as any to find out.

**-Ozpin's office- **

"You did WHAT!?" A raspy voice silenced the entire room in mere seconds. Ozpin and the two other Oni flinched at the sudden outburst.

"Do you realize what will happen if Cerus is with him without us there to calm the both of them!?" The older woman slammed her cane hard enough to dent the floor beneath her slightly. For an old Tenko, she sure did have a bit of strength left in her.

"Mother, calm yourself. You may be strong still, but your body is fragile. Don't overdo it." Nikolai tried calming her down, though leaving his nephew with Cerus was a questionable act, it was better than leaving his older brother with Emerald.

Said girl merely kept her glance to the forest, awaiting any hint that the two Oni had clashed. In total honesty, she couldn't care less whether Jaune would grow to care for her father or not. What clouded her thoughts currently; if Jaune could somehow forgive the old bastard, then couldn't she do the same?

"Emerald, what is your opinion on the matter?" Ozpin's question caught her attention slightly; she turned to face him just for a moment, before gazing back towards the forest.

"Has my cousin 'acquired' the Oni's final form during his training?"

Ozpin shook his head "No" leaving Emerald to frown. "Then, sadly, Jaune will never defeat the former king. The difference in power reflects certain death for that blonde boy, if my old man doesn't hold back."

Just as she finished, a large explosion from Beacon cliffs caught their attention. Judging by the size of the sudden blast, it was possible Jaune was fighting out of anger, meaning they had to intervene quickly.

**-Beacon Cliffs-**

The influence of their aura drove away all of the nearby Grimm, the intoxicating power Jaune was expelling from his body had Cerus regretting this secret meeting. If he couldn't contain the boy's anger, then controlling him after his forced evolution would end with devastating results. A repetition of what transpired before; a rebirth of true vice.

Jaune lunged towards him, using Ruby's speed to keep the old man from dodging, yet he somehow managed to avoid yet another strike. Every punch and kick thrown at him ended with Jaune striking the air. Cerus was taking this as a game, laughing for every attempt, smiling before any strike. A momentary sense of realization hit Jaune; he does the same thing for every fight. By Monty his worst fear came true; they were related.

His uncle's laughter was playful rather than sadistic. From the way he was 'handling' the situation, he didn't perceive Jaune as a threat.

The blonde was breathing heavily after exhausting all his usual options, Cerus on the other hand was literally bouncing with glee. Somehow Jaune felt his moves rather sluggish and often misdirected by some kind of unseen force. Normally he'd be bouncing around with no problem, but chasing this man fueled solely by anger started becoming tiresome.

"Just a quick question; how old are you?" Jaune asked, his words escaping with each exhale.

"52, and still kicking, literally."

"For an old man, you sure are pretty active." Jaune commented.

"You forget boy, I'm not human. To be fair, my semblance is Time Manipulation; sadly, stopping time is my only ability. And don't think I'm unaware of your Mimic, it is admirable. However, I've acquired a power your heart will never achieve."

"And that would be?"

Cerus smirked, his hair and eyes changed from their dark ebony, to milky white. His skin darkened to the shade of a Beowulf's fur. Two white horns sprouted from his forehead, each with a red ring near the tip. Two large canine teeth were made bare near the edge of his mouth as he drew a curved blade from its sheath. Increasing in size, now twice the height he once was. "Behold boy, this is an Oni's true form. There are only 2 ways to achieve this form...I reached this power by committing the taboo." His normal tone was followed by a deepened echoe, the same as Kat. His power levels were undoubtedly higher, even when holding back the majority of his aura Jaune could barely withstand the influence from his distance. The pressure was enough to even keep Ozpin at bay.

For a moment, Jaune's power almost instantly calmed. His suspicions were true about his own uncle, Cerus killed his own partner. Though the question remained; "For power?" Jaune gripped the tilt of his blade, daring his uncle to answer.

By then, Cerus' grin faded completely, he sheathed his blade, though his current form remained. He sat down on the burned ground, a saddened smile imprinted on his lips as he began to speak "I do not expect you to trust me, but would you listen, if only for a few minutes, to an old man's tale?"

Reluctantly, and out of curiosity, Jaune sheathed his blade while approaching his uncle. He sat down a fair distance away, though close enough to hear him.

"Ozpin has told you much, but, there is a great deal about our people that not even he knows, secrets meant only for the ears of our family. An Oni achieves this state when they merge their auras with their life partners. Your partner remains intact, and either one of you can take control. It takes a great deal of practice to reach this mantel; however, there is another way to obtain this power. If an Oni should ever be driven by a great deal of wrath, they will eventually lose control of themselves while fighting. Their partners feed off the negative energy, and eventually gather enough negativity to revert to their basic Grimm instincts. The only way to end the madness is to separate them from you permanently. When that happens, they will no longer be in Oni form, but they will become senseless killing machines, and in the end you're left with no choice but to put them down."

Jaune's grip eased, his blood ran cold upon hearing this.

"Like Ozpin, my ignorance forced me into an unfavorable situation. However, Ozpin learned the first time around...I did not. I lost many people dear to me, now I am but an exile performing my family duties; protecting you and my kin. I know you harbor a great deal of hatred towards me for what I did, but believe me when I say; all I have done, I've done so to protect you."

Thinking back on it, his words had a sense of truth; Jaune did hold a great deal of anger towards this man, but in all honesty he would be lying if he didn't feel a shred of sympathy for him. Looking at his uncle again, he took a good look at his form, wondering if this is what he would look like as well. He scratched the back of his head, unable to speak in the awkward silence. Cerus kept his gaze on the blonde, almost like a patient child.

"You..." Jaune began, trying to keep a level of civility "...are someone I never want to be. Yes, I'm angry for the lies, but if I truly mean anything to you, then I want you to swear on whatever's left of your soul that you will honestly answer any and all questions I have, regardless of the emotional pain they'll cause me...if I am to rule a kingdom, then I will need to face some aspects of reality." Jaune finally glanced to his uncle, a small sign of relief was implanted on his face.

Cerus could see the fire burning in Jaune's eyes. He was maturing fast, learning how to deal with his emotions carefully, and recognizing responsibility. A trait he undeniably inherited from his mother, he could only wonder if looks were all he got from his father.

"Of course, ask away."

"Kat, get out here."

Katerina appeared beside Jaune, still wearing the Beacon Uniform. The blonde sighed annoyingly; shaking his head as his uncle merely gave Kat an approving thumb up.

**_"Present!"_** She declared, raising her hand up happily. **"...by the way, why am I here?"** She asked tilting her head.

"Because I want us all here for this." Jaune reached into his knapsack; somehow he managed to hide the weapons Cerus left in his locker the first day of school.

"I want to know about my parents...my real parents. And my family, that includes you. Every. Single. Detail."

Cerus was taken back when Jaune actually wanted to know about him, after all he did, a violent fit or exchange of curses were expected.

"I know what you're thinking; no, I don't hate you. Infuriated? Yes, of course I'm mad, but I can't hate you just yet. Besides, I want to hear your side of the story, if you'd be so kind?"

His reaction was a small chuckle, then full on laughter, initially shocking the two teens in front of him. "Yes, you truly are your father's child!" His bellows were a bit uncomfortable, but nonetheless, Jaune straightened himself while listening to his uncle speak of their family, history, how Jaune's father met his mother, his cousins, and Cerus' story. When reaching this subject, and during the ongoing tale, Jaune felt nothing but sympathy for this man...or beast to be precise. Forced to kill his partner, abandoned the throne for the woman he loved only to be betrayed by her, exiled by his own father and having to hide secrets even from his daughter while she held a bitter grudge towards him left Jaune wondering how his uncle had yet to break under all that happened.

"By the way, if you do not use your mother's blade, then what weapons do you equip yourself with?"

Jaune drew his dagger "This is a wakizashi, a 45 cm blade, short version of a katana. It's the only weapon I've ever used. In all honesty, I prefer close-range combat with short blades or daggers, long swords aren't exactly something I'm used to."

Cerus reached over towards his own knapsack, handing over a wrapped object "Here, I brought you a something. Think of it as a heads up to what you'll need to learn." Jaune hesitantly accepted. Upon unwrapping it, his eyes were glued to the title; Seran History.

"I assume you might've wanted to know more about your homeland before ever going there. It details all our history, from provincial origins with their variety of cultures, to every civil war. And believe me boy, there are plenty of both."

"Civil wars." The word made Ozpin depiction of his homeland a bit vague. If the inhabitants didn't fight over racism or Grimm, then what exactly was the cause of these wars?

"Our most current one; the Zheng civil war, it ended in a devastating defeat for the rebels...however, the province is still in shatters to this day, and the war was almost 20 years ago. If Ozpin has already mentioned it to you, I assume you can venture a guess as to what caused the war."

"It was you breaking some traditional marriage arrangement, right?"

"Close, but the war was caused because of the Colonial Plan. Your mother believed that if we could just have some contact with the outside world, perhaps our society could have a great influence on the other kingdoms. The council of Zheng strongly disagreed; they stated that contact with any of the four kingdoms would only put our people at risk. As the king, I couldn't persuade their vote, but I did have absolute power over the military."

**_"So you had them set up outposts in the southern regions, therefore creating tensions between the provinces. In time, they eventually led to conflict." _**

"Smart girl."

**_"I have my moments." _**

From a clear distance away, Ozpin managed to track down the origin of the explosion, and was rather confused when he saw a peaceful conversation between the two Oni. Not to say he was expecting them to be at each other's throats, but he didn't expect Jaune to be mature in this situation. The others were making bets as to how long it would take for the blonde to snap...some family. All the while, he started picking up on other aura signatures nearing them. It would be troublesome if someone were to see Cerus in his current state, more so if Jaune was with him.

Before he could react, a small red-hooded figure accidentally rushed past him and slammed right into Emerald. The two fell towards the ground, slamming down on the ground rather painfully. At least for Emerald, Ruby used her to cushion the fall.

"Ah! I'm so sorry! Are you ok!?"

Normally, a person would either groan or reply angrily, Emerald just rose up with nary an argument and turned to the small huntress. "Be careful kid, you could've hurt someone." She turned her gaze away, acting as if what occurred was no big deal. However, her ears twitched almost as quickly as her aura began rising. The group around her took a few steps back as her power levels rose dangerously high.

"That bastard!" She growled before dashing right into the forest.

Soon enough, the rest of team RWBY, (J)NPR, and Vesta arrived from the thicket of the forest.

"What are you all doing here? Classes are still underway." Ozpin pointed out, the blonde brawler merely shrugged and responded "Goodwitch canceled them after she saw the explosion...as a matter of fact, she was looking for you."

Ozpin paled, he knew she'd rain hell down on him for leaving his scroll back in his office, again. "Listen, tell her it was merely a test of sorts, there is no need to cancel classes. Now return to Beacon, immediately."

A sudden realization came to Ruby's mind. "Professor, we haven't seen Jaune all day, he might be around here."

"I highly doubt that, now I'm not going to say it again; back to class Ms. Rose." Ozpin's eyes dilated as he just realized what he just revealed. The two older Oni flinched before one of them spoke up first "Rose, as in Ruby Rose?" The Tenko took a quick glance on the small red huntress, before cautiously approaching her. A large smile spread across her lips when she confirmed her suspicions. "By the gods, you look just like your mother."

"Y-you knew my mother?"

"Knew her? Child, I trained her. I may not look like it now, but back when Summer was around your age, I taught her everything I knew. After which she and i fought together until my old age finally affected my body. Her first victory was against this empty-headed boy here." Her cane was pressed against the headmaster's chest. "I swear you two nearly leveled the city had my sons not intervened."

His eyes drifted to Ruby, the question she had could be easily predicted. "You knew my mother too?" She asked with newfound hope in questions once left to be forgotten.

Ozpin on the other hand preferred keeping this particular part of his life a forgotten memory. "Yes, but that's nothing of importance anymore." This single response sparked a fuse within the normally chipper huntress. This man knew her mother, and he was obviously hiding something, and there wasn't a living being in Remnant that was going to deny her answers when they were finally this close.

"Of course it is! She died when I was little, and no one will tell me how or why!"

"She served her kingdom with honor and bravery, nothing else needs to be said or brought up. Now return to your dorms this instant." Ozpin responded calmly as to not break down himself.

"But I want to know! She's my mother! Tell me why you don't want to answer!?" Tears were already starting to run down her cheeks. Yang was currently withholding the urge to beat the answers out of the headmaster, not to mention her younger sister crying already had her on edge.

"Ruby, it would be best to drop it."

"Why?! What is it about my mother that you don't want to tell me!?"

Ozpin held it in for so long, the secrets, the lies to protect those who could've been spared the burden. Just like Cerus, he believed hiding certain truths were necessary, Ruby wasn't ready for this one. He wanted to keep her out of future conflict, to give her the skills to protect herself if the time ever came. But every time she mentioned her mother, his stoic façade crumbled until he himself snapped. No one ever tested him this far, in truth, he never mentioned his younger sister because he never once shed a single tear. Thinking he could live his life without needing to mourn, how wrong he was. All the emotions he suppressed finally broke free.

"Because she was my baby sister, and I wasn't able to protect her!"

His confession paralyzed the teens before him; even so, he continued to fight the emotions he hoped to never shed. His legs however gave way, as his knees hit the ground; he slammed the ground with his left fist. "I couldn't protect her, I tried, honestly I did but..." His voice began breaking, his eyes already overflowing, though he used what little strength he had left to keep himself from breaking completely. "I'm sorry, Ruby. She's dead because of me...I'm...I'm so sorry."

Ozpin kept his head down, unable to face his niece anymore. The last connection he had to his deceased sibling would grow apart from him, until eventually she'd want nothing to do with him.

"So...you're my..." Ruby's tone was disbelief.

Ozpin nodded, removing his glasses while wiping away what little tears he could. "Yes, I'm Summer's older brother. I'm your uncle. I'm sor-"

His words were interrupted by a small bundle of red embracing him. Something he never expected, nor planned for. Her grip was strong his right hand unable to move as it was caught by her sudden hug. He used his left hand to slowly return the child's embrace, her own small sobs escaping.

Ruby finally found someone connected to her mother, answers she could obtain, and a newly discovered family member. She was of course a bit confused as to why he would hide the fact that they were related, she allowed herself to ignore that for the moment and help her uncle mourn the loss they both share.

All the while, the whole group, or more correctly the humans, were unaware of an approaching enemy.

**-5 minutes earlier- **

Cerus and Jaune were actually smiling, much to Kat's surprise. She never expected the blonde to get along with him so quickly, but it was better than the fighting. For some reason during the battle, Jaune's anger was slowly powering her, a feeling of bloodlust and hostility were beginning to cloud her mind. Destroying and killing were all she wanted to do at that point; luckily, her partner's anger subsided, allowing her own common sense to finally clear up the strange thoughts.

"By the way, uncle, I have one request for you." Jaune cleared his throat, giving his family member a stern expression.

"If I return to Sera, and agree to be king, I want you there with me."

Both listeners flinched, Cerus was especially surprised, he assumed his nephew would leave his exile be. "I'm afraid my exile is indefinite. Besides, what would you want with a monster like me?"

"I think you've forgotten, as you are rather old that I'm an Oni; meaning I'm a monster too. The only manner in which I will accept the throne is if all my family are in the same kingdom where I can keep an eye on them."

"I'm moved Jaune, but I don't know if Emerald will react too kindly to her younger siblings."

"Wait! You have more children?!"

Jaune's reaction to his uncle's confession left him speechless. Cerus merely laughed nervously while scratching the back of his head. "What can I say; many things happen in twelve years. They're twins, very cute. Although, it'll be hard to tell their older sister. I wonder what she'll say."

"Why don't you ask her?"

A massive chill ran up his spine, behind him was a massive figure. Slender, with darkened skin, red eyes, two horns sprouting from above her ears, long minty-green hair and another pair of arms beneath her usual two.

"Remember me?" Not waiting for an answer, she struck her father with enough force to deepen the ground. When the dust settled she found a blonde and his partner dazed and confused while her target was clearly absent from view.

"My, my you've reached this level already? I am impressed." She turned to face the liar she called father. She heard everything; the siblings she never knew about, and her mother. Her fists clenched tightly, her own teeth bared at him.

"Why don't you change back to your human form, you look much prettier." His comment was met with two left fists slamming directly into his face, sending him flying through a few trees. Her aura began emitting the same deathly venom Jaune did when he first fought Cerus.

"You lied to me, all these years you've lied to me about my mother! Do you know how long I've carried her weapons, carried her name, I cursed you for bringing me into this world!? I grew up without either of you two, and in the end both of you were a disappointment." Once she was towering her father, she used her added strength to land as many punches as she could. All the while venting how she felt "You could've told me! I might've loved you! But now you'll live the rest of your life with only my hatred!" With one last slam, the radius of the leveled ground was indeed tremendous. As she rose from her spot, her father arose from the dust, unscathed. "If so, then why do you hold back?" He asked.

She merely reverted back into her human form, shooting another glare at him before going to check on her cousin. Cerus groaned at the current situation, as an attribute to being a monster, it came with many perks; increased hearing was one of them. He cursed the fact that he didn't check the area before confessing like that. Though just as he did, two familiar pings suddenly came up. Dangerously close to a few humans nearby. Knowing Jaune, he probably sensed it already, without much haste he made his way to the cliffs. This particular one was not one he was going to ignore, because it has been a while he's seen her.

The happy reunion between Ruby and her uncle was cut short when Weiss' sudden cry broke them the silence. A Beowulf was holding her tightly, bearing its teeth at anyone who even dared move. Where it came from was a mystery; however what transpired next had a great feeling of fear rise in Blake's mind. A green-hooded figure emerged from the forest. Her sadistic smile being the only visible form of her face, though her emergence stopped right beside her pet.

"Down boy, this girl is not our target...for now. What we want..." She drew her blade, gesturing it to the clad in black. "...is her. She killed our friend, now return the favor!"

The Beowulf howled loudly, tossing Weiss aside while charging straight towards Blake she readied herself, drawing Gambol Shroud. Meanwhile Vesta jumped directly in front of her with arms stretched open.

"What're you doing?!" Blake shouted.

Vesta merely grinned as the Beowulf slowed in its advance before completely coming to a halt in front of her. The beast continued to growl softly before eventually licking the Faunus girl in front of him. Vesta giggled at her welcoming present before addressing the Beowulf properly. "It's been a while, hasn't it Vólkova?" The large Grimm nudged its nose against her, she smiled again while gently embracing the him. The group of teens stared in awe as their friend was able to single handily stop a charging Beowulf. Although, Weiss being the only one to wonder how another human was able to tame a Grimm, and Blake began fearing if the White Fang suddenly came up with a new technique to use the Grimm.

The newcomer removed her hood, her emerald eyes fixed on Vesta.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Her voice deepened from their last conversation. Though still undeniably that same girl from before.

"Yes it has, Mishka."

**And there it is! I hope this chapter has satisfied some of my readers. Yes, Mishka has reappeared, but will a certain Blonde arrive in time to keep her from going rampant? Until the next time, tanks for reading!**


	8. Family Resemblance

**Happy New Year to all! I hope you've all had a wonderful year, and hopefully this year brings a positive time for everyone. Here is the next chapter, please enjoy. **

**-Emerald Forest-**

"I see him."

"...then what are you waiting for?"

"I've read the reports; I'm not going to just jump in."

"Don't be such a coward."

"Fine! Then why don't you take him on!?"

"...I intend to, you handle the other one."

Jaune and Emerald used a great deal of speed to jump branch by branch, their intended waypoint was far, not to mention the sudden spike in aura levels suggested a brawl with murderous intent. Just as they were nearing the cliff, Jaune's trip was postponed by another two approaching strangers, reacting quickly enough to grind his blade amongst the others. The sudden attack nearly threw him off balance with enough momentum to create a painfully large crater in a fall, which was the least of his worries at the moment. His attacker withdrew from his attack, sheathing his katana while gaining fair distance from him. Somehow he seemed familiar; the Grimm mask, his brown hair with small red streaks, and a quick glimpse of the markings on the back of his black trench coat were almost out of Blake's personal journal.

The two opponents stood in silence for a few minutes, only the passing wind replaced what could've been the clashing of steel. Though, almost just as quick as his sudden appearance, a more loud and vulgar fight began just a few meters away. A small glance towards his left, and Jaune's eyes were greeted with his cousin viciously fighting some other unknown, and judging by the look Emerald's face; she was extremely happy. Although she could use a more clean vocabulary, the same would go for the other one, odd though; it was as if they knew each other. Her opponent was dressed in black and red, while wearing the traditional Grimm mask sported by the White Fang. Lost in his thoughts, Jaune failed to notice the sudden blade stopped a mere inch from his throat. Kat manifested herself quickly, using the long sword Cerus gave him to stop the unknown from decapitating him. The clash of their blades flared a few sparks.

**_"Pay attention moron!" _**

Her sudden appearance drove their opponent back yet again, sheathing his blade while his mouth was slightly agape. Completely surprised the reports were true, though it would only make this elimination mission all the more necessary.

"Thanks Kat."

**_"Don't thank me just yet!" _**

The blonde nodded as she dispersed to black dust, Jaune drew his short blade and awaited some kind of movement. Yet, just as before, the unknown made no move or gesture. There had to be some way to push him, or at the very least a single blind spot. And then of course, there was the one thing he shared with his uncle, and quite possible his cousin; taunting the opponent. Then again, this opponent's skills were yet to be thoroughly analyzed. Adding to that, he was mainly using Laido fighting style; unsheathing his blade for a rapid attack, then just as quickly sheath his blade. In any case, Jaune decided to go the fun way.

"So...are you that much of a coward that you'd need to attack me when I'm not aware, where's your honor?" his simple tease pushed the unknown to once again clash his blade with Jaune's, and thankfully, his anger driven attacks made him predictable. Allowing Jaune to use Ruby's speed and keep up with him, while readying a few others as a last resort.

"As if a monster like you deserves honor." His voice dripped with murderous venom, while his grip on the katana tightened.

Jaune's eyebrow slightly twitched, being judged solely by what he was gave him firsthand empathy towards the Faunus. And yet, in a few minutes Jaune was able to identify this guy as a Faunus...the mask was evidence enough, but there was something not right with him either. Almost artificial, and with a somewhat close connection to a piece of his past.

"I'm guessing you have an idea as to what I am, meaning there's no point in explaining...or holding back. So with that in mind..." Jaune sheathed his short blade, retrieving the long sword by his feet as innocent blue orbs shifted to crimson red.

With a sinister smile on his face, he leaped forward leveling the earth beneath him with a taunting chant. "Let's play!"

Meanwhile, Emerald faced a similar situation, yet her attacks had more of a kick to them. And the fact that she knew her opponent already gave her an edge. The initial realization was a bit shocking; she didn't think assassins would be sent already. Of course, if this was the best _'he' _could send, then by all means she welcomed it. If these failed experiments think of themselves as equals to Oni, then they had another painful lesson coming. This little skirmish would serve as an example.

"I never figured you'd be the traitor Emerald, but then again no one expects the kiss-ass." The unknown woman taunted.

In response, Emerald merely grinned while reading her blades. "I missed you too Raven, although if they really wanted me dead I do wish they would've sent a real soldier rather than a failed copy."

Almost instantly the clad in red and black charged with such speed Emerald was nearly run through. The near death experience brought another smile to her face, the adrenaline doing its part in keeping her attentive.

"What's wrong Raven, did I touch a nerve? Well now, if you really want to hurt me, then why don't you..." In a split second, the clad in black and red Was now face to face with her raising her blade to strike "Die you fucking monster!"

The blade made contact, the sound of the strike made it clear how much force was used, though the hit made a metallic clank. Raven's eyes dilated, a direct hit to the girl's skin and her blade bounced off as she was striking metal. Emerald reacted quickly and stabbed her, not with her scythes, but when glancing down, there was the tip of a Death stalker's stinger piercing the side of her armor. The tail originating from Emerald, whom was merely smiling at her now poisoned enemy.

"Oops. Sorry, I got a little too excited."

The armored woman's hands began trembling, her vision grew groggy, legs already giving way. She collapsed, the Oni before her kneeled down, her scythes removed the Grimm mask while gently caressing her face and fixing any loose strands of hair on her face.

Raven glanced up, now with two opponents hovering over her. Emerald, and an armored figure next to her. His armor was milky white, just as a Grimm's, covering mainly the lower half and upper right section of his torso. Along with light protection on the front side of his legs, skin as dark as Kat's, long purple hair with amber eyes. A similar stinger to Emerald's, with venom dripping from the tip.

"This wasn't in the report. What the hell are you?!"

Rather than respond, the newcomer merely kneeled down with a stoic expression. Odd though, considering his partner's current state of mind.

**_"Don't worry; the poison won't kill you, it's just enough to immobilize you." _**

"I'm not in the mood for this kind of cowardice! Just kill me already!"

Raven's sudden pleas, when thinking of her once confident and overbearing attitude, it was quite a surprise, and pleasure to see this vulnerable side of her. Although, the way she begged for death almost seemed like she would rather die than be humiliated, or she knew what would happen if she failed her mission. On the other hand, Emerald decided to continue her taunts and add a few threats just for fun.

"Aw, why kill you so quickly? After all, you know what kind of a 'monster' I am so there's no need for formalities. My parents weren't always around, and no one told me not to play with my food." Emerald licked the lower half of her lips, sending a shiver down the paralyzed girl's spine. "Besides, I've never eaten such a lovely figure, a shame it's your only redeeming feature. If my stinger wasn't poisonous...oh the things I would do."

"You're sick!" She shouted.

"Haha! I'm not sick, I'm twisted. Sick makes it sound like there's a cure. Besides, you're not so normal either. Jokes aside, you should thank me."

"For what?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Mathayus, bring her with. The old man should have intervened with the fight by the cliff, and our little blonde should be finishing up by now."

Her Grimm half merely nodded and picked up the girl's immobile form, throwing her over his shoulder while accidentally touching a certain spot. And while she couldn't move, Raven could still feel.

"Hey! Watch where you're touching!"

In the time it took for all to transpire, Jaune was barely holding back. Whether he was dodging or striking fast, some sort of hidden desire was slowly breaking the surface of his current façade. This man was advancing with well-coordinated attacks, seeking blind spots, and growing very irritated. Mainly at Jaune's use of multiple semblances, though the blonde found it odd when he saw his uncle's semblance and couldn't perform it. It nearly ended with a blade slashing through him had he not used an Illusion to further confuse and anger his opponent.

"Not bad, if you don't mind me saying, you are a fun challenge. Most of the people I spar with are either used to my taunts or don't care. But you..." Jaune was once again interrupted by the clashing of metal, even with his Grimm mask, this unknown's anger was indeed increasing. It was somewhat fearful in its own right. Although this fight was fun and of course there was this unflinching nature to continue on and finish his opponent with much vigor, there were other matters to attend to.

"Well, I wish I could say this was a pleasure, but I have more important matters to attend to."

Just as Jaune turned his eyes away, a sword went right through his chest. The wielder of the blade smirked at how he was finally able to kill this 'holy beast'. Very slowly, and with much delight the unknown removed his blade. Just as he was to relinquish in the kill, Jaune's body immediately eroded away with the wind. Before he could react further, a short blade pierced the unknown from the front. Using his enhanced speed, the blonde managed to leave a decoy and strike while his opponent was confused. The unknown quickly raised his blade and swung forward, however Jaune managed to evade and regain his battle stance in a safe distance.

Blood trickled down the blade's hilt, the unknown foolishly removed the blade and tossed it aside, allowing more blood to flow out. He raised his katana with both arms, patiently awaiting an opening to strike. By now Jaune had placed aside his playful tendencies, seeing as how it only made him feel more bloodthirsty. And in all honesty, killing wasn't exactly a solution he wanted to frequently participate, if at all possible. This guy had to be smart enough to know going on was suicidal. Jaune was unscathed; any kind of cut of bruise was healed almost immediately. While this unknown had an open wound, losing blood every second.

"Listen, unless you have some sort of death wish I'd advise you to see a doctor or you'll bleed out. I honestly have no intention of killing you so why don't we leave it at that."

Once again, he turned his back on this man, unaware he had opened up yet again another opening. Only this time, it wasn't his instinct or Kat that saved him.

"Don't you dare turn your back on me!"

Needing only a single moment to charge enough aura for a quick charge, the figure aimed his katana straight for Jaune's heart with only a few seconds until contact, the sudden appearance of an old memory caused him to halt instantly. Even with the mask, through the 4 slits his dilated eyes could be identified. There before him stood a memory he never once thought he'd see again, with her same black attire and beautiful face. And her voice called to him, that sweet mellow tone he'd almost forgotten.

"Adam."

For a split second, he had forgotten about his target and focused all his attention on this girl. He lowered his blade while using a free hand to reach out towards her, yet just as his reach managed to feel the warmth of her skin, her body dispersed into Sakura petals. The petals rushed past him, for a moment, Adam's eyes widened, and the next minute multiple cuts appeared on his body. His blood gushed out, while his body slowly collapsed onto the ground. Jaune watched from afar, shocked by how his opponent was suddenly taken down.

"Oops, I think we over did it?"

Jaune's eyes turned to the sudden appearance of two children standing next to him. Both had ebony hair that extended to their shoulders, tan skin, and innocent crystal white pupils. Their attire consisted of a simple sleeveless black tunic with matching pants. Twins in both appearance and clothing style, though one of them was smiling and slightly taller, the other was somewhat stoic and shy, clearly hiding behind the other twin.

"Sorry about that, but papa told us to keep an eye on you. Nice to finally meet you! My name is Tai Long" Said the taller one, by the tone of his voice; a boy. The stoic child waved shyly "M-my name is Kai Long. Are you alright?" Her mellow voice was hard to hear at first, though just from that it was obvious to tell; a girl. The way they just suddenly appeared like that gave him a slight increase of fear. If assassins were now coming after him, would they start sending children as well?

Jaune quickly began reading their aura levels, they were slightly below his, thankfully though the relief was the familiar ping they had in their aura. It was only then did he finally put the pieces together. Kat reappeared for this, with a confident smirk she asked. **_"You two are Cerus' kids, right?"_**

Both nodded in unison, when another two figures made their presence known. The two children stared at the new arrival while she merely ignored them and gestured her partner to place their captive down.

"We have the second one immobilized; they're both working for the same man. Which can only mean they know what we are, and any minute now their failsafe is going to be triggered."

"Failsafe?" Jaune's question was just about to be answered, though it wasn't one he was prepared for.

**-Atlas, Schnee Manor- **

A large screen showed a humiliating sight; Prentiss's strongest experiments failed to even slow down these beasts. Adam was strong; he would not break to any form of torture. But Raven was more human, even after all the augmentations and scenarios she was put through her sense of morality was still intact. Still, even if they didn't speak, their memories were easily obtainable for an Oni. Josef glanced to the side; his old friend's eyes were empty. He knew what was to transpire next.

"Prentiss, it's time." Josef's voice was empty, no sentiment or tone of sympathy.

Prentiss retrieved his scroll, and then with a slight hint of hesitation he activated the failsafe. Now, their glances turned to the screen, Josef stole a few glances of his friend, whom raised these children prior to being assigned to Jaune. These 'failures' were the closest thing to children he had, with Jade dead, and the others killed in these last 12 years, only these two remained. Sadly, they failed to meet expectations, and his plan was still in effect. There went a saying; it is painful for a parent to outlive their children. And for Prentiss; he was no exception.

**-Emerald Forest- **

Before anyone could blink, Adam's body suddenly burst into flames. His screams of agony drowned any nearby sounds, Raven merely watched with widened eyes as the boy whom she grew up with was slowly turning to ash. Jaune wanted to rush in and help but Kat's hand kept him in place while she used a free arm to shield the eyes of the twins from this scene. Emerald was unamused, she'd seen this before, though to watch someone like Adam die like this; there truly was no honor in his death. Within a few minutes his screams finally stopped, and the flames erased every trace of his body. The only thing left was a half burned Grimm mask mixed with the ashes. Jaune walked over to the site, picking up the mask. His mind played back to when the sudden appearance of Blake caused his anger to cease almost immediately. If they knew each other, then how exactly would Blake feel about this?

Emerald fixed Raven's glance towards her, "The poison I placed in your body is tampering with the failsafe augmentation they placed in you. Your life is in my hands, so I'll give you three choices and depending on your answer I might let you live. Option one; I extract the poison from your body and allow you to perish just as Adam did. Option two: the poison stays in you, but I'll modify it so you may move freely again. However, your powers will forever be suppressed, but the failsafe will never affect you. In addition, you give us all the information we need. Or option three, which is my favorite by the way; you reject both offers in which case I consume you. Oh, and the poison doesn't affect me, Mila can testify for that...if she were still alive." She finished with a smirk. Raven turned her head away, all options were dishonorable and she'd end up dead in the end. Thinking back on the name Emerald mentioned, she could already confirm most her missing comrades were probably eaten by these monsters. Yet it still raised one question even she didn't have the answer too. "If you consume me, won't you lose your information?"

To this Emerald's grin turned dark "Sorry to disappoint you sweetheart, but there's more to us than what your makers have told you. We are what you weren't meant be; only difference is that you're human in origin. Even so, we have an ability not even your makers could achieve; if we devour any living being we obtain both their powers and memories. I don't need you to talk, but I'm giving you the option. And don't think for a second I wouldn't consume you in front of these kids. They're just like me, soon enough they'll do the same as they get older. To be perfectly honest I'd rather decide how you die, but the new head of my family ordered me to hold back." Emerald gestured to the blonde holding the only remain of Adam Taurus. Jaune walked over to them, his glare fixed on Emerald.

"You knew this would happen, and you didn't bother telling me?" his voice edging between anger and sympathy.

Her smirk was instantly replaced with a glare. "Don't tell me you actually feel sorry for these failures? These...things are the reason the colony failed. Your parents died because some old bastard wanted to recreate our species, and for what!?"

"That doesn't mean you have to stoop to their level! At the very least show some mercy!" Jaune replied, his voice rose over hers.

"Mercy?! Tell that to the ancient humans who betrayed our people! They slaughtered our ancestors until only a handful remained. And even after a millennium, _WE'RE _the monsters!"

"So you would lower yourself so much that you'd be the monster they claim you are? I thought you were smarter, Emerald. If you wish to go and slaughter like a wild beast, then by all means go ahead. But should you do so, then I will be the one to put you down for good regardless of blood ties."

"You would kill me to protect them?"

"If I save innocent lives, regardless of species, then I will run my blade through you. It will hurt me, I won't lie, but I'll do it nonetheless. Now answer me this; what will your decision be?"

Their exchange of words brought about an uneasy atmosphere, both of them were glaring one another down before Emerald turned her head away with an annoyed expression. This patriarch wasn't at all what she expected, but it was a whole lot better than what she had in mind. Her little sadistic nature was just a façade her partner knew that much, but in all honesty she did feel some sympathy for Raven and Adam. After she obtained memories from their fallen comrades, she saw everything; experiments, survivors. Still, even after learning his history, Jaune was still sympathetic towards humans. It would seem her own evaluation of the new king even astounded her.

"You're no fun...but in your own way I guess you have a point. Though I do have to ask; what will be done with her?" She gestured to Raven, whom by now was staring at Jaune with a glimpse of hope in her eyes.

"We let her go." Jaune's answer brought a unison response from both women.

"What?! Why?!"

"This fight is over, there's no need to humiliate her. Besides, as you've already said; with your poison inside her, she won't die from the failsafe, and her powers are suppressed. She's no longer a danger to us. What she does with her life from this point on is of no concern to us."

A grin appeared on Kat and Mathayus, both Grimm partners stared at Jaune, then to Emerald awaiting a response. The young girl was stunned, but thinking on it, Raven was a dead woman anyway. Even if Jaune didn't order her death, she'd most likely be hunted down by the Schnee. Without another moment of hesitation she used her stinger to modify the poison, giving Raven her will to move. "You'd better hope this doesn't come back to bite you."

Jaune then gestured to the southeast "The city of Vale is that way. There's a path along the coastline that's Grimm-free so you should be fine. None of us will hunt you down, so try and make the best of this." He then turned to his family, "Emerald, you and the twins escort her to the coastline, and then head straight for the cliffs. I have some things to take care of. Tai, Kai; make sure your older sister doesn't kill her."

Before anyone could protest, the blonde knight and his partner vanished, leaving Emerald with her estranged siblings and a defeated enemy she has to safely escort. For a boy who's just made the head of a family, he sure can take control of a situation with a cool head. Although, leaving her to babysit isn't exactly an order she'd gladly follow, but she'd follow it nonetheless. As she turned to face her prisoner, she was met the gleaming eyes of her smaller siblings.

'Oh hell.' Her attempts to ignore them would likely be an impossible trek now.

-Cliffs-

The fight in the forest was over, yet the battle on the cliffs raged on, even more so when Cerus arrived. His attempts to end the fight quickly without causing too much damage didn't go so well when two of these fighters knew him, and neither with friendly memories either. What started off as a fight between old friends became a temporary truce for revenge on the monster that destroyed their home. The huntresses in training watched as the calm and peaceful Vesta they knew was attacking with the intent to kill. Even the newcomer was showing no sign of holding back, nor did she seem to care if she was hit as her attacks left many openings.

Being a veteran in the battlefield, Cerus was able to dodge and hold back in his attacks. But these teens weren't going to stop anytime soon, revenge was finally within their reach and there wasn't a force that could stop them. That is, until a blast of concentrated aura hit the space between them. Forcing both sides to temporarily retreat to a safe distance. Once the dust settled, a blonde was seen dusting his armor while wielding his mother's weapons; the shield and long sword.

"Jaune!" Ruby called out as she readied her Crescent Rose.

"I'll handle this, stay out of it." Jaune's words were directed not just to his uncle, but to his teammates as well. He sheathed his weapons, and placed them down beside him. There was no reason to continue fighting today, and what would be the reason to spill the blood of an old friend? Before confronting Mishka, he turned to his uncle "Oh, and don't worry, Emerald's with the twins."

Cerus sighed while sheathing his scimitar. "That only worries me more."

As his attention was directed to his new opponents, he came face to face with the soft growls of a Beowulf. The Grimm sniffed him for a few seconds before tackling him playfully, "it's great to see you too, Vólkova!" Jaune managed to speak out as the large Grimm was licking his face. Clearly overjoyed to see the human boy that rescued him from hunters as a cub.

"Vólkova, stand aside." A voice as cold as her dead eyes were fixed on the blonde she assumed was dead. The Grimm hesitantly back away from the blonde, meanwhile the girl fixed her dagger towards his neck.

"Mishka?"

The blade pressed against his neck, causing him to keep whatever he was going to say. Her emerald eyes were finally drained of life, now there was nothing but the empty will to survive. She kneeled towards him, her eyes examining every inch of him before fixing them back to his. "I thought you were dead. Is it truly you?" There it was, one small glimpse of hope sparking in her eyes.

Jaune reached to her; with his hand he flicked her forehead while grinning "Does that answer your question?"

Mishka slowly lowered her blade, a single tear rolled down her cheek. Jaune, instinctively, used his hand to gently wipe it off. But by that single action, countless more followed, eventually leading to Mishka embracing the blonde in a bone crushing hug. And it didn't go unnoticed either, some of the watchers cringed as they could hear the blonde's bones slowly snap. It was almost heartwarming, if not for the fact that the blonde's blue orbs were rolling towards the back of his head.

"M-m-Mishka! Stop, you're gonna kill him!" Vesta yelled out from beside them.

For a second, the bear Faunus glanced to her now unconscious childhood friend, upon seeing his condition she returned to her bone crushing embrace. "Don't die!" She yelled out.

After managing to split the two apart, it took a while for the blonde to recover. Though in that time, it was revealed that Cerus killed Jaune's mother, which would've led to an all-out brawl had Ozpin not intervened. The entire conversation was held in the headmaster's office, images and Schnee records were given to the group of students. Ozpin, however, censored any and all files relevant to what an Oni was, or where the location of Sera was. The only information given to them was the Schnee attempted experiments on both humans and Faunus in hopes of creating a 'super soldier', leading to Jaune being kidnapped and placed with parents whom worked for the Schnee. Of course, there were others participating, though only Jaune and a fair few survived the augmentation. But after the events of today, the blonde was the last survivor. Emerald spoke of agents such as Raven Branwen, Mila Feldspar, and of course Adam Taurus. Agents working for the Shcnee, some undercover in various organizations for long periods of time. The last name mentioned caught Blake's attention, when she asked of his whereabouts Emerald responded with "Were you paying attention? He's dead, along with every other surviving experiments. Jaune showed him mercy, but the idiot bled out trying to continue fighting." Blake's eyes shifted to the floor before retreating behind her partner. While only a selected few knew this as a lie, Emerald believed it to be better than saying he was incinerated by his creators.

Ozpin returned to his speech, detailing the planned massacre of Romdall, even before the Grimm invasion. Weiss couldn't believe what she was hearing, to think her own family would orchestrate such a crime. Jaune suffered...no, many people suffered because of her family. And yet, even after the blonde knight knew of this he still continued to be her friend. He truly has a kind heart.

Though the more shocking news was when Cerus told them he was Jaune's uncle. It was a shocker of course, but thinking back on it, it made sense to most of them. Although Jaune told Blake of Sera, he didn't tell her he was to be the ruler of that kingdom only that it exists. Weiss knew exactly how Jaune handled the Grimm, Ruby saw Kat once, but it was enough. And when fighting, both Jaune and Cerus always either taunted their opponents, or showed no interest in fighting. To think the blonde knight was related to this man before them was very interesting, even more so when some of the other arrivals revealed their connection to him.

Blake was the only one amongst her friends who realized what it meant; these people were living, breathing Oni. Adding Jaune, it makes seven Oni in the city of Vale, each of them with indescribable power. Fearful in the fact that they were able to take down Adam and others on his power level without breaking losing any limbs. While she knew what they were, she kept this information to herself as Jaune asked of her. As the day came to a close, Ozpin instructed his students to rest, and to keep the nature of their conversation to themselves. Once he received an acknowledged nod from all of them, he sent them on their ways though just before exiting, Mishka and Vesta sent a bone-chilling glare towards Cerus. Leaving only the Oni and Ozpin behind.

Ruby gave a personal goodbye hug to both the Tenko and Ozpin before leaving; Blake took one last glance to Emerald, and followed her teammates out.

"...well, that was rather enlightening." The Tenko commented while sipping tea. "I must say, Summer's daughter has grown to be an exceptionally talented child. I truly believe she will enjoy Sera. Oh, here's an idea, why not marry her to my grandson? I can picture the wedding ceremony; absolutely beautiful."

What she received was a deathly glare from the headmaster; Nikolai intervened before some kind of fight began between the two. "But mother, she is not of Zheng. Wouldn't that go against the traditional marriage laws?"

"As if you're one to talk, this whole king problem would've been settled if you accepted the throne. You already have a wife from Zheng." Emerald responded.

"My dear, that is true. However, your uncle was a soldier in the Zheng civil war. And his actions did not go unnoticed; placing him on the throne would've only caused more tension. Besides, do not forget you also rejected the throne." The Tenko pointed out while again sipping tea. "But enough of that let us return to the main issue at hand; my grandson and Ruby's wedding." She ended with a sly smirk.

"Like hell! She's too young!" Ozpin nearly hollered, Cerus doing his best to keep his old friend from getting hold of the Tenko. Although, she merely grinned at his reactions. "Only two years my dear Jagdtiger. Besides, imagine the wedding night." Her smile became wider as Ozpin was now lost in bloodlust while trying to break free of Cerus' hold. By then both Nikolai and Cerus had to withhold the infuriated headmaster from going berserk. Meanwhile Emerald was sitting down between her siblings as they watched the Tenko continue to tease Ozpin. She leaned over to her siblings and muttered with a tired sigh "Welcome to the family."

**-Next day, Infirmary- **

Jaune awoke, wincing slightly as he arose a bit from his bed. Glancing around he noticed the absence of a bubbly hammer wielder trying to wake her team. It was until he rubbed his eyes a bit did he realize where he was. That hug Mishka gave him was more damaging than his battle with Adam. Jaune's mind suddenly started playing flashbacks of everything that happened. He felt a hint of sorrow for him, but it passed. At the moment, he could still feel sore from the sudden embrace of his old friend. "Talk about a bear hug." He mumbled. As he tried to get out of bed, he realized something was holding him down. Upon removing the sheets, he let out a small but manly yelp as there was his childhood friend holding unto him. To think she actually slept with him again; old habits did die hard. Though his worst fear was when she snuggled up to him, increasing her hold. The tight hold only proved how strong she was physically, although his next near-heart attack was when the door opened and in came a variety of visitors with a mixture of frightening faces.

_"Jaune, what is this?"_ His partner asked, her voice dripping with venom, and her face completely opposite to her tone. There was only thing he could think about in this situation.

'Oh hell'

**And so comes the realization, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. With classes starting back up, I'll delay on updates, but I will try. Thank you for reading.**


	9. Infiltrate Via Frills

**Hello! I've decided to do another time skip as to advance the storyline, please do forgive the sudden advancement. Oh, and inspiration for this chapter came from Oobidoobi's art; ****_Truth or D*mnit_****. Do enjoy this next chapter. **

**-Beacon, Nighttime-**

In the short amount of time since Mishka's return and the arrival of students from the four kingdoms, Jaune's life had taken many confusing and terrifying turns. From waking up to Mishka clinging to him in bed every morning, to Emerald's _training_ in the forest. Being the head of a family meant learning the traditions and most importantly for him; reaching the final form. Luckily, seeing as Emerald was around his age, and with more time on her hands, she took it upon herself to train the blonde. Both situations were enough to heavily tire him, more so needing to deal with them carefully. Sadly, when one sees Pyrrha's reactions to Mishka suddenly appearing beside the blonde knight every morning, the image burns into your subconscious. Frightening doesn't begin to describe the emotion one feels. Granted she tries to deal with it subtly, however the first time Jaune became frightened of the Spartan was when she tried waking Mishka and the bear Faunus mumbled "Not too loud Jaune, you'll wake up our little one."

Jaune knew she referred to Vólkova when he was just a cub, meaning she was dreaming of their childhood. But to new parties, it could easily be misinterpreted, especially if their jealous minds jump to conclusions. As time went on, a few girls tried to win the blonde in their own manner. But even with their increase in kindness and often less-than subtle advances, the blonde knight could not pick up the point and ended with the idea that most of the girls were just being friendly. To think with all the power he possessed, he couldn't even pick up on Yang's flirting, let alone his own partner.

Though, at one point he was pulled aside by Blake during a free period in the library. It was a secluded area so keeping their voices low and limiting their choice of words wasn't an issue. But when Blake brought up Adam, it was a rather difficult situation. More so when his throat was continually evading the tip of Gambol Shroud. True, it was he who gave him Adam the fatal wound, but even he didn't know who killed her mentor. Their talk lasted longer than expected, and there were moments the atmosphere almost turned for the worst. Still, Jaune answered her questions with nothing but the truth. In a situation like this, people believe lying would be the best solution to avoid heartbreak, but the blonde knight managed to be completely blunt without angering her too much. She was mad for the fact that there were some lies he kept from her, but even so she felt comfort in the fact that Jaune showed Taurus a shred of mercy. Something her old mentor would never have done. What happened next was something no training, or lesson anyone could've prepared him for. The normally silent and studious member of team RWBY hugged him, although what followed was the kicker; she gave him a small peck on the check. Both of them blushing beyond the normal shade of embarrassment. Luckily for them, no soul was in the library at the moment, allowing the two to exit without misunderstandings. Of course, they missed the a few classes, and interrogations held by Yang were always frightening.

Throughout a short number of days his cousin put him through her method training, some were unorthodox, but ultimately necessary nonetheless. Yet, even with those countless hours of training, he and Kat made little to no visible progress. However, the toughest challenge was tonight; the dance. The problem was who he was taking, he couldn't decide amongst his friends. In the end, he was literally carried bridal style to the dance by Mishka.

The dance was anything but sane as the blonde was constantly being switched between partners. One minute he was waltzing with Ruby, the next with Pyrrha, and then Mishka, and so on. Not necessarily in that order, but enough to win a few laughs from onlookers. Somewhere along the switch, Jaune somehow got lost in the crowd. After making his way towards the punch bowl, he took notice of a lonely heiress on the sidelines. Very subtly, he managed to sneak beside her. He leaned closely then spoke "Hey." She jumped slightly before showing a small smile.

"Where's your date?" Jaune asked, to which Weiss gestured to a blue haired boy speaking to Blake and her date. Just looking at him made her smile fade instantly. Jaune frowned, to think Weiss, a girl with such beauty and talent, was stood up. He could only wonder how she was feeling, just then an idea sprung unto mind. As soon as the next song begun, much to his luck the song being Voices of Spring Waltz, Jaune gently took hold of Weiss's hand and led her to the dance floor. The heiress blushed a bit before her embarrassment subsided, and her dancing skills took over. As the danced together, Yang stood upon a balcony with a scroll in hand. She had begun recording the moment Jaune snuck up next to the heiress, grinning widely.

Weiss was completely entranced by the moment she unconsciously laid her head on the boy's chest while continuing to dance gracefully. Opening her eyes for a second, she noticed General Ironwood dancing with Glynda. Almost instantly she snapped from her daze and pulled Jaune aside and quickly outside.

"Weiss, what's wrong?" Jaune asked worryingly.

The heiress took a few glances around before looking the blonde directly eye to eye. "Jaune, I need your help for something, can I trust you?" She asked. When the blonde nodded, she pulled him away from the dance hall, and somehow away from school grounds. It only took a mere ten minute walk before the two of them were standing in front of the Cross Continental Transmit tower, with no armed guard by the door. They managed to sneak into the tower undetected so far, however the real challenge was getting to the elevator.

The two took a quick peak; four armed guards standing by the elevator. Weiss ducked back, pulling the blonde with her as they shared plans on how to proceed.

"We need to get to the terminal; I have my father's key code. All we need is to get rid of the guards without doing so in front of those cameras."

"Can't you tell them to move aside, you are a Schnee, right?"

Weiss immediately struck him, though only with enough force as to not have him cry out.

"Dolt. What part of _'undercover operation'_ do you not understand?"

"Sorry...oh, I just got an idea."

"And that would be?" she asked, skeptically

"Stay here, I'll handle these guys quick and clean."

And with that, Jaune disappeared in the blink of an eye. Weiss peeked around the corner again; if the blonde knight knocked these guys out in front of the cameras, it would only limit their time. However, what Jaune had planned was a bit more...unique. And it would leave the heiress speechless, or slightly attracted. Whichever the case, even she, being Ruby's partner, would never expect what would happen next. After a few minutes of waiting, the door entrance opened. Approaching from the entrance was a slender, yet oddly beautiful woman. Her peach-colored frilly, sleeveless dress reached to the lower half of her knees. Weiss couldn't describe it, but here was something about her long blonde hair and gentle blue eyes that...wait.

_"Éllo jentle men, I zeem to 'ave gotten lozt_. _Can one of you 'ansome men azzit little moi?" _She asked with small tears emerging from the edges of her eyes.

The men standing guard were watching with jaws hanging, and heart shaped pupils. Weiss stared in disbelief, her jaw also hanging extremely low, one thing was passing through her mind at this point; he's so beautiful...I'm jealous! All of this, while slowly holding up her scroll and tapping the 'record' button.

The Body Shape; lovely. Voice Tone; feminine enough. Acting Skills; apparently convincing. Charm; by the gods he was actually pulling this off.

Weiss was more than shocked, and with every second he pulled this charade, the longer she couldn't withhold her laughter. And then it hit her; that same dress was the backup she had for the dance. She would've been angry, but it fit the boy so well. And as luck would have it, these guards actually fell for it.

"We'll help you find your way miss." One of them assured her with his hand wrapped around her shoulder.

_"Sank you so much fo ziz. Oh, if only tere were men like you in my 'ome village."_ His saddened tone struck a few heart strings, allowing the small group to escape the eyes of the cameras. Weiss went to work disabling the cameras with her scroll. Upon finishing, she heard 4 large thuds hit the ground. She emerged from the darkness, followed by her blonde companion, still in a dress.

Before Weiss could utter anything, Jaune raised a single finger. "Do. Not. Tell. Anyone." He demanded.

Weiss snickered a bit before activating the elevator. "Whatever you say, miss."

The blonde knight shot her a playful glare as the heiress was still withholding a major laughing streak. Once the elevator reached the top floor of the CCT tower, Weiss immediately went to work hacking the terminals while leaving Jaune in charge of guarding the door. The blonde glanced to the heiress, she seemed pretty determined in this, going against her family was a pretty big decision and there was no way she thought of this overnight. As his eyes glanced back to the entrance video, he noticed an unknown figure approaching.

"Someone's coming, whatever you're gonna do, finish it quick."

"I'm not done yet, whoever it is keep them busy." Weiss was now hacking deeper into classified files while the blonde lifted the side of his dress, catching the heiress attention for a second as there was, strapped to his leg, his wakizashi. Weiss couldn't help but snicker uncontrollably, leaving the blonde to feel even less of a man…or Oni in this case.

Upon the opening of the doors revealed a slender figure exiting the elevator, flinching slightly as the first thing she saw was an oddly beautiful girl with a short blade.

"Oh my, I didn't think there would be a party. Much less, I never expected to see such a lovely girl to greet me; it would explain the collapsed fools by the entrance." Her voice was oddly familiar, though for now Jaune merely raised his blade defensively. The two of them stood facing down one another, only the sound of the heiress' failed attempts to hide her laughter were heard. Glancing to the side, you couldn't see her, for she was on the floor holding her stomach and covering her mouth.

"What is...?" The unknown asked before being interrupted? Jaune merely shook his hand while mumbling in his feminine tone. _"Du not azk."_

"Fine with me." The unknown leaped into the air, with a dust crystal in hand, created a boy with fire arrows. Upon firing, Jaune managed to evade with using speed to come up behind her. Much to her surprise, with what he learned from his training sessions, Jaune concentrated a fair amount or aura into his palm before firing. The woman reacted quickly by creating a shield, however this form of aura attack was developed secretly in Sera. Thus, the blast broke through the shield with ease, had the unknown not reacted quickly enough, she would've been hit. The blast, however, managed to hit the main terminal, causing quite a bit of damage to the servers. Weiss immediately removed her scroll and ran to his side. "I got it, let's go!"

"Hold on, let me deal with-" just as the blonde turned to face his opponent again. She had already disappeared. Though just as quickly as she vanished, the tower's alarms went off; sealing the both elevator doors and windows. Before being caught Jaune took Weiss' scroll and placed it with his blade in his leg-sheath, earning yet another snicker from the heiress.

"Really? At a time like this?" Jaune couldn't believe she would still find humor when so close to being caught. After a few minutes the alarm stopped, and the elevator doors pinged new arrivals.

"What now?!" Weiss' question was answered upon the entering of a General Ironwood and the now conscious soldiers from the first floor. The General gave a disappointed glare at Weiss, while staring at the other young lady with her. In a way, he saw why they were fooled. But to take down four armed guards, and from the looks of things, destroy the main terminal without so much as dirtying her dress. A unison though was passing through their minds; what a woman.

Meanwhile, both Jaune and Weiss waved nervously at them while the blonde spoke again, _"Éllo, lovely night, izn'd it?" _

**-Later, Ozpin's office- **

Ozpin and Glynda were baffled; they just couldn't understand who this young lady with Weiss was. Things were more confusing because the heiress would seem to be hiding a giggle every time they complimented the young blonde.

"Tell me young lady, what is your name?" Ironwood asked, his tone entering interrogation mode. Circling the young blonde while eyeing a few features. Sure she was flat, but her figure spoke above all else. And if she wasn't a student, then by all means he'd take advantage of it.

_"Zorry, Tat iz a zecret."_ Jaune replied with a wink. A faint blush appeared on the General's cheeks. Even Ozpin was astounded by both the unknown woman's bravery, and how she was easily getting to Ironwood. After regaining most of her composure, Weiss explained their reason for being in the CCT tower. She claimed to have been following an odd figure that somehow entered the tower unnoticed and was downloading files from the servers before her 'friend' managed to disable the server and stop the intruder in her tracks.

"Did you manage to recover the storage device the intruder was using?" Ironwood asked. When the two shook their heads, his face frowned "Without proof, how do you expect us to believe you?" Just as he finished, he noticed a small bulge on the blonde girl's side thigh. A victorious smile managed to surface as he pointed to the bulge "And what might that be, my dear?"

Jaune and Weiss mentally cursed this man's perception, if he found the scroll, then all the data they stole would be the end of them, literally. Glynda managed to predict what he was about to ask and interjected. "Ironwood, the technical analysts have just notified me that someone was indeed stealing files from the terminals. And your men were still active when the security measures were deactivated. Leave the girl be."

Just as the two teens inwardly sighed in relief, the General's frown failed to disappear. "Then let this young lady prove she is innocent; show me what you're hiding."

Jaune was blushing madly, and while Glynda and Weiss wanted to knock Ironwood out cold, and beat him up some more after the initial, they too were curious as to how this would play out.

Jaune turned to Weiss, hoping she'd voice out to the perversion behind this general's motives. Instead, Weiss merely blushed and turned her head away "You heard him, prove your innocence."

And with that, all of Jaune's hopes came crashing down. With no one objecting, very slowly he extended his leg and began lifting the side of his dress. The tears emerging from the blonde's eyes added to the deathly moe moment this was becoming. Though just as the sheath was revealed, Jaune manage to twirl his leg and have the general tumbling down. As the man sat up, a blade tipped his throat. The blonde was sporting a deathly glare that even sent a chill up the heiress' spine. Though just as the moment turned for the worst, a playful expression appeared on the blonde's face. _"Pervert."_ He mumbled more sweetly than before.

Glynda smiled proudly, secretly joyful at the fact that someone finally took Ironwood a peg, although by the time Jaune drew his blade, Ozpin had figured the truth out and was doing a much better job hiding a smirk than Weiss. However, if he didn't excuse these kids anytime soon, Ironwood would figure out the truth, and while the thought was amusing and tempting, he didn't think Jaune deserved the embarrassment.

As Jaune and Weiss approached their dorms, a few of the male students took second glances at the blonde, much to the displeasure of the female students. It would seem that no one could recognize him, and he witnessed firsthand the _'undressing with eyes'_ feeling.

"Wow, you sure do have quite the impact on people. You know, this could be a thing." Weiss tried being playful, but the gloomy aura around the blonde made the situation a bit too sensitive. All the while Jaune wondered why no one figured it out, even up until this point. Before entering team RWBY's dorm, Weiss held him back with one question still in mind. "Where's my scroll?"

Jaune reached into the upper half of the dress and pulled out the scroll. A victorious smirk on his face, while Weiss was extremely confused as to how he was able to switch it so quickly. Just as they opened the door to the dorm, they were greeted by their friends. All of them. Ruby immediately threw herself at Weiss, gripping the heiress tightly. "Weiss, where were you?! When we noticed you and Jaune were missing we got so worried?!...where is he?"

It was then that the group noticed the beautiful blonde girl with them. Emerald appeared out of thin air and hung herself over the newcomer beauty. "Quite a stunner you've brought here princess, and what might your name b-" upon further inspection, Emerald's eyes dilated, and a large grin was slowly growing as she discovered what the rest were to discover in a mere few seconds.

Jaune turned to his friends with his regular voice, and very shyly waved to them. "How was the dance, guys?"

...

...

...

...

3

2

1

By the end of this countdown, the entirety of team RWBY's dorm, along with the heiress that managed to hold back until now, drowned the entire room with laughter for a great amount of time. More so when they began taking pictures, and even then, for some reason Emerald continued her advances. Little did they know, the days to follow would surely be their last together.

**And that concludes the chapter, a cross-dressing Jaune that still manages to ignite flames of lust. I decided to give you all a little humor for this chapter, although short, I hope you all enjoyed. oh, and in case anyone was wondering, i was going for a french accent. if it doesn't sound right, i am sorry. Thanks for reading.**


	10. Exhausted Resource

**-Beacon Arena-**

Early morning after the dance, 3 blondes and a single brunette were currently occupying the arena for a match. Well, in all honesty only 2 of the blondes were pummeling one another into the ground, the other blonde backed out at the last minute, luckily for him he did. The brunette was deeply invested in a newly acquired book, though only glancing towards the fight every time she sensed their aura levels intensify. Just as before, Yang was barely holding her own, if not for the rules she made with the blonde knight, this fight would've been over before they destroyed the arena grounds...again. When sparring, Jaune could only use one semblance, and to make it fun Yang would choose the semblance. This match, the blonde knight used Yang's rage, and luckily most of the inside of the arena was still repairable. Sadly, most of the underground water pipes would need to be replaced, adding to the repair bill.

The added water weighed down the already battered fighters. Sun watched as the soaked teens were still hitting each other with everything they had, some punches could've leveled entire platforms. The force these two were using could be questionable by Glynda's standards, spectators in combat classes would even question whether either of these two were human. Just as he turned his eyes away, a single forceful strike ended the match. The blast sent a rushing gust of wind that nearly and literally blew away the only two viewers. Yang was sitting atop a collapsed knight, grinning widely with her thumb up.

"I win."

Blake and Sun walked up on the battered arena, the conscious brawler had a few cuts and bruises, and the boy beneath her wasn't looking too swell himself. Glancing around, they were surprised there was actual rubble this time. These two truly were a feared duo, they'd be lucky if Glynda was in a good mood today.

"Jaune, you ok dude?" Sun asked leaning over to the still unconscious blonde. Jaune's head quickly popped up from the ground, gasping for air while his eyes frantically searched his surroundings. "I just saw Valhalla."

The fellow blondes helped the downed knight regain his balance while the clad in black continued to read her book. Her partner noticed and swung her arm around her to get a closer look at the contents. "Watcha looking at?" Upon first glance, the brawler noticed the book's strange lettering. "What's this?" She asked.

To which the now stable knight answered. "It's a book from an ancient kingdom, a friend of mine taught me how to read the scripture, and I taught Blake."

Somewhat satisfied, and curious, the blonde brawler released her hold on Blake and made her way to the showers. "I'm gonna hit the showers. I'll see you later my little nerds."

"I'm gonna go find Neptune, see you two later." Sun waved goodbye and walked off, secretly glad he found a plausible excuse to leave before Glynda came. Meanwhile, the blonde knight used what little aura he had to heal his injuries, glancing to Blake as she finally closed the book. "So, anything interesting?" He asked her.

"This kingdom, Sera, was established by your people in hopes of keeping peace between the other three species. It's amazing to think such a kingdom has remained a secret for over a thousand years. Although there does seem to be a plethora of conflict. There's one quote that really catches my interest; _if you can reason, then you have evolved from the state of a mindless beast. And if so, then what is your reason for fighting? What cause could a true warrior have to kill needlessly? In the many battles I have endured in my life time, I would say that fighting for love makes more sense than all the rest_."

"Who was the king that said that?"

"Queen, actually. She was also an Oni, and the sixth ruler since the kingdom's founding; Gamuza Teresa."

The blonde found it interesting Blake had yet to make the connection, or ask whether he was related to any of these rulers in a way. The truth wasn't written, seeing how in Sera; an Oni ruler is a common fact. Their talk continued for a great while until a blonde brawler dashed from the locker room and out the arena exit. The two stared confusingly before the sound of heels made their blood run cold, and just like the brawler, they made a mad dash towards the exit. Thankfully, they were able to escape would could've been a long and painful reprimand from the headmaster's assistant. Though, while Blake went after her partner, Jaune decided to use his free time, before another match was requested, and take a stroll around the city. He couldn't face his teammates just yet, after all, showing up in a girl's dress was one thing, but when Weiss tried to review the data they recovered, the heiress accidentally played the video she took of Jaune seducing the guards. Yang, Nora and Vesta were literally dying from laughter, the others expressed their own feelings over it slightly subtle at first, but it was impossible not to burst. Before coming to the city he did of course leave a note saying where he was going, and he even managed to slip through Mishka's grasps so it counted for something. This was just to be a calm and uneventful walk through the city. At least, it was what he was hoping for. There were two little figures following him closely or rather, a bit too close. The twins; Kai and Tai decided to tag along with Jaune since they've never seen a modern city before. For that reason the blonde brought them along willingly, but for some reason they were more interested in sticking to him rather than scatter to see the new sights. Truly odd for children who've never seen the city, then again if Cerus told them what they were then being around so many humans would clearly make them wary. Still, to see them so shy was rather cute, especially after the events of the forest. How they were able to create that illusion, or inflict so many wounds on Adam was an interesting idea to think about. Over the short amount of time they spent together, the blonde knight managed to create a somewhat trustworthy and light bond with these two. They were secretive despite being family, but he respected their privacy just as they did his. As they entered the shopping district, Jaune noticed something he hoped they'd enjoy on their first trip to the city.

"Say, have you two ever tried ice cream?"

The twins looked to him with confused expressions; Jaune smiled and took them to a familiar shop nearby. Upon entering the small shop, both twins glanced over the counters at the many flavors available. Both of them scattering about, eyes beaming at the abundance of sweet toppings. Jaune chuckled lightly; this kind of curiosity was indeed for children in times of peace. The blonde knight thought back to when Cerus spoke of upcoming war, though the biggest fear was whether it was going to affect his friends. If possible, he'd make sure to keep them safe for as long as he was breathing.

Of course when he bought these two their cones, it was hard to breath in terms of lien. Both of them had double scoop cones, and 4 flavors each different than the other's. He didn't know why he was so surprised, whether Faunus, human or Oni; a child will always be a child.

Thinking back on it, they were family but Cerus was always training them so much he didn't have time to get to know them. And when he remembered how they managed to take down Adam without flinching was indeed surprising. Most people wouldn't think so lightly of children who could cause damage and not be affected by their actions, let alone spill so much blood. It didn't mean they were monsters, but perhaps all they needed was someone to talk to. Emerald, being their older sister, should be their diary, yet she was always so busy with her undercover work. And when the twins approached her, she showed little to no interest in them. Jaune couldn't question directly over her cold attitude towards them, but if this was a personal matter between Cerus and her, then these children shouldn't be a part of her grudge.

"While we're here, why don't you tell me about yourselves?"

Amidst the consuming of their sweets, the twins stopped simultaneously.

"Your dad has been training the two of you so much we've never really got to take a moment and share a few words. So, let's take advantage of that." Jaune's words seemed to have stunned them; they stared at each other worryingly, then back to the blonde. Tai decided to share first. "Well, we're both eight. We dress the same so there's no physical way to tell us apart. But, I do enjoy training with my dad, sleeping in, and there's this pretty blonde lady back in the school who teaches me how to control my aura."

"Yang? Hard to believe she can do that…"

Tai spoke his head. "No, the one with glasses. She's very nice to me. But she's a bit mean to the man with grey hair."

Jaune snickered while imagining how big of a lecture and interrogation she put the headmaster through after discovering the sudden family gathering. It would explain why she was tougher on Ruby during combat classes; showing no signs of favoritism.

Kai spoke, her voice a little louder than her usual tone. "Am I next?" She asked with a slight hint of eagerness. When Jaune nodded, she smiled faintly "I don't really like fighting, but dad says we have to learn to protect ourselves. I like reading and looking at flowers, it's quiet and peaceful. The lady in black lets me read some of her books."

Well, it wasn't a lot, but enough for a start. They may've been identical twins, but their personalities broke that outer façade. As they continued to converse, the twins opened up more; allowing the blonde to know more about them as words were exchanged. It turned out when fighting, they combined their semblances to instill mainly confusion and fear rather than going for the kill. The first fight against their father was an almost near win had he not pulled a trump card. Kai had the ability to manipulate flower petals to act as blades, while Tai was able to read Adam's memories and manifest his innermost desire. Kai hid her petals within the illusion, and when Adam fell into their trap, Tai released the illusion, allowing Kai's petals to completely immobilize. Even if they fought separately, these two would truly be frightening in a fight. But as a duo, even Jaune felt lucky to be on their side. Though when he mentioned his semblance, the beam in their eyes was evident enough of the following questions they would ask.

"Tell you what, during the tournament in the Vytal festival I'll use my most powerful one, of you're willing to wait." He offered.

Almost immediately they nodded, large grins showing their eagerness to see him in action. After leaving the shop, they stopped in a nearby park to rest. Although, after eating such an amount of sweets, these twins couldn't stay calm. Their current activities rotated from bouncing around with unbelievable speed to playing a simple game of tag. The blonde decided to let them exhaust the sugar from their systems, sitting down on a nearby bench while watching ordinary people pass by, going about their own business.

The weather was perfect; clear blue skies, calm winds that share the sounds of talk and laughter amongst the populace. Enjoying the peaceful setting to an extent, Jaune didn't notice a woman taking a seat beside him.

"Beautiful day isn't it?"

Jaune's eyes drifted to a familiar sight, something he didn't expect to see so soon after her defeat. And with that blade hidden in her sleeve, she had the upper hand in this situation. However, Raven kept a faint smile as her eyes redirected themselves to the blonde, and then back to the sky.

"Yes it is." He replied. "I'm glad to see you're doing well."

"I don't know why you decided to let me live, but I am grateful. I don't know why, but I feel a similar pain coming from you, as if you know what we've been through. Take this..." She held out her hand, in it was a scroll with the Schnee insignia. "...it's my personal scroll. My fath...boss gave it to me after I completed my training. I'd like to tell you what's on there, but I have a dust shuttle to catch."

"Leaving so soon?"

"Believe me, when you read what's on that scroll, you'll understand why. Oh, and one more thing..."

Before Jaune could blink a soft pair of lips landed directly on his. While he was completely paralyzed, she showed no embarrassment as her warm tongue darted into his. It was an indescribable feeling, his mind would've overloaded had she not ended their embrace after a minute. "Judging by the look on your face, that was your first time. That makes two of us. Consider that my thank you. I only wish we could've gotten to know each other under better circumstances. Who knows, maybe we'll meet again, in this life or the next. Farewell and thank you." She finished with a wholehearted smile, stood up and walked away without looking back. Meanwhile the blonde was using his palm to hide a crimson blush, this was certainly something he didn't expect, nor did he actually want a thank you for doing what he believed was just. Nonetheless, he couldn't deny how good it felt. All he had to do was make sure no one knew about this, it'd be embarrassing beyond belief. Not to mention the teasing from Yang would be unbearably endless. Kat was too busy laughing it up with last night's little stroll so for now he was safe from her. But, who knows what the others would think...and then he glanced down; in his sight were the twins.

"So, that's why you let her live." Tai concluded with a sly grin. Kai had a light shade of pink in her cheeks. "You're lewd, big brother." She hid behind her twin.

"I don't see a problem with it." Jaune's heart skipped a few beats when he realized the new voice was female. Thankfully his eyes managed to relax his heart when he saw his cousin, and Nikolai grinning down at him. "E-e-Emmy? What're you doing here; I thought you said you were working today?" Jaune stuttered.

Emerald's grin vanished; she smacked the blonde's head in annoyance. "Don't call me that, and I came because I need your help with something...oh, and Nikolai is here to take the twins back to the old man."

Both Kai and Tai clung to the blonde's pants tightly, showing disappointment at the unfolding situation. "But we wanna stay with big brother." Kai replied.

"Big brother?" Emerald asked with her eyebrow twitching.

Tai smiled brightly "Yea, we walked around the city for a bit, and then big brother bought us ice cream."

Emerald pressed two fingers against her forehead, obviously annoyed, but the question remained; of what? "Listen, the adults are going to work right now, so just go back with the old man. If you're still eager to see the city, I'll take you both out for dinner tonight, ok?"

Jaune assumed they would be happy to hear such an offer, but their gloomy expressions failed to brighten. "That's what you said last time...and the time before that." Kai argued.

"I promise I'll be there this time, now go back to Beacon." Emerald was slightly acting the part of an older sibling, but she sure was holding back on emotions. The twins stared at her a second before ultimately giving up and going back, they hugged the blonde tightly before leaving with their uncle.

As Jaune watched them leave he received another smack to the back of his head.

"What the hell, Emmy?!"

That very nickname earned him another smack, after which she then caught hold of his sleeve and dragged him towards the docks. Along the way, the walk was quiet and awkward. The blonde tried to get her to open up a bit, but she ignored all of his questions. Upon reaching their destination, Emerald quickly pulled Jaune aside, within an alley she caught hold of his shirts collar and pinned him against the wall. Her emotions were a mix of frowning to fighting a saddened expression. Her hands were gripping the collar of his shirt while her eyes were continuously trying to make eye contact, to no avail.

"How did you do it?" Her voice hushed, though clear enough for the blonde to take in. "I'm trying to bond with those two but every time I look at them I see my old man. You have no idea how hard it is trying to love someone when they look like someone you hate. So why is it you can easily get along with them while they're only scared of me?" Her head lowered just enough for her hair to shield her eyes. "I...I'm their sister, so...so why... " Her grip finally eased, though now it was apparent what she was angry over; she did try to connect with the twins, but when she just met them after being completely unaware of their existence for so long, it was rather hard finding something to talk about. In an instant her tight grip returned, she slammed Jaune against the wall with her eyes burning in jealously. For a slender girl, her strength was terrifying as she was lifting Jaune with ease. Although, the boy being threatened was unamused by her current façade. "What am I doing wrong, what're you doing that I'm not?"

The blonde took a moment before responding with;

"Nothing."

Emerald finally made eye contact, Jaune slowly and gently removed her grip on him. "You're not doing anything wrong, it'll take a while but I'm sure they'll figure out you care about them. Everyone has their own way of expressing their feelings; it took me a while before I realized it. When you care about someone your emotions border a tsundere level."

Emerald stared blankly at him for a moment before Jaune sigh and began explaining what a tsundere was. Luckily for him, all those books and manga he acquired for Kat sure did pay off. He even gave examples of memories he recovered from their earliest childhood days. Detailing how Emerald would be sadistic and sometimes physical when expressing any kind of love to anyone, especially towards him. After a brief, but thorough explanation, the blonde was met with both a blushing girl and forceful smack to the back of his head, again.

"T-that's not true!" She argued. The force of her strike this time had the blonde's head crashing down, creating a crater beneath them. Had he not reacted quickly and used his aura to cushion the fall, he would've truly become one with the concrete.

Jaune managed to unearth himself from the crater and yet still smile. "See, although I'll admit it's not a healthy habit to pummel people, but in our case its fine. Don't be afraid to be yourself, rather than wanting people to see the good in you, aim for those who see the bad in you and still care."

Jaune arose from the floor, dusting himself off. Emerald crossed her arms, thinking of a comeback for his words. She found none, and in a way he was right. But if that's how she is, then would that mean she does care about her old man? The mere thought had her fist clenching and the blonde flinching slightly. Instead of another smack, the blond could feel a handing gently patting his back.

"You know, it's times like these I'm glad I'm not human."

"Why's that?"

"Because for humans Incest is taboo." She finished with a sly wink. Jaune stood frozen, unable to accept that she just said that. Rather than wait for a response Emerald walked out of the alley and made her way towards a warehouse, the blonde caught up and stayed closely behind her. Though after her last statement, he made sure to keep a fair distance as to keep his blush from worsening.

"Before we go in, I'm going to ask you to keep an open mind. I need to cover my tracks once my assignment is over, but I need your opinion on one particular case. And if my boss asks why she shouldn't kill you, please don't respond with one of your smart-ass jokes." Emerald didn't give Jaune a chance to ask before opening a door to the warehouse and gesturing him to enter first. The blonde cautiously walked in, all around were large crates with the Schnee insignia. As if the single snowflake emblem wasn't seen enough already. His eyes glanced towards an open crate, inside were a variety of dust weaponry in colorful amounts of caliber. Another open crate exposed vials of dust and crystals, though there weren't any souls currently within this vicinity. Or at the very least not in the exact room with them.

Jaune took a moment before commenting "Quite the arsenal you have here. I'm going to go on a limb and say the other warehouses nearby are also filled to the brim with stolen dust shipments, all from the Schnee company. And judging by how one particular group could acquire so much in so little time has raised eyebrows even to the thieves themselves, right?"

"That would be correct."

The origin of the voice came from the door entrance, its familiar tone and figure matched both a transfer student from Haven, and the intruder from last night...or more correctly, one of the intruders. Without her mask, the woman's beauty was something to behold, though her power wasn't anything to sneeze at. It was evident she was after the data on the tower, and held back in her attacks as to not accidentally damage the servers. Once she caught a good look at the boy, she frowned slightly while tilting her head.

"Haven't I seen you before?" She asked, her fingers rubbing the tip of her chin. To answer her question, Emerald reached into...Oum knows where and pulled out a blonde wig. By placing it atop the boy's head, the woman's eyes widened as she realized who he was; the reckless girl that beat her to the terminal, and destroyed the servers. And the one who took out the guards _after_ seducing them.

It only took a few moments before the woman snickered lightly, then with her hands she tried her bust to muffle her laughter.

Emerald spoke up, "Ma'am, this is an old friend of mine. Despite his scraggly appearance, he's stronger than he looks, I assure you. He and his group have the data that was stolen from the CCT tower last night. Jaune, this is Cinder Falls, my boss."

Once Falls regained her composure, she cleared her throat and faced the boy.

"Ms. Falls, is it? A pleasure." Jaune offered his hand somewhat confidently. Cinder smiled slyly, accepting his handshake while keeping her eyes on his. "It could be, if you play your cards right." She finished with a seductive tone. Once again the blonde found himself at a loss for words. Meanwhile a smaller figure was observing from afar, swinging her parasol around playfully while keeping her eyes glued to the new guest.

"So, care to give me a reason to not kill you, young man? Or is it woman?" Cinder asked playfully.

"I wouldn't know myself, but I assure you that's nothing of importance right now. And just as Emmy explained, I have some the data you attempted to steal, and I believe we might be able to work a little trade."

"And why would I agree to such business?" She asked skeptically, while keeping her grin in place.

Jaune reached into the pouch within his armor, pulling out the charred remains of a White Fang mask. The red markings on the mask belonged to only one particular White Fang member, and after losing contact with this operative for several nights, it would seem his fate has just been revealed. Cinder lost her smile if only for a second, not out of sorrow, but pity. Now it'd be even harder to keep the support of the White Fang under her control. More so, they'd lose faith in their mission if a group, leagues stronger, began a war between them. So now she'd have to negotiate to gain what this boy had. That is to say, when Emerald said she found something she might want, Cinder didn't expect a cross-dressing blonde.

"My condolences for your associate, but I am on a tight schedule. After reviewing what I could from the files my partner recovered, I believe you might've been played into stealing all of these shipments. Why? I'm still not sure, but there is a way in which we may both benefit. So here's my offer, ma'am; I share everything my partner and I found in the tower, in exchange, I want information of someone. Classified information, every dirty or hidden piece of data your resources can acquire."

Cinder pondered the idea for a moment, this blonde wasn't terrified of her in the least and he dealt with her just like he'd deal with anyone else. And by the tone of his voice, he was seeking revenge. That made her all the more curious to test him; maybe even acquire him as a partner, depending on his own associates. Although having someone who could kill Adam, without losing a limb or two, for an enemy was a major hindrance waiting to happen. Cinder grinned sadistically. "Collecting Intel takes time and resources, but I'll accept your terms on one small added condition; accompany me to dinner tonight. Do that and we have a deal?"

The blonde was taken aback by this; he honestly didn't know what to think. It almost sounded like she was asking him out on a date, but she wouldn't take such a risk with someone she just met, would she? Well, even if she was planning something, he managed to convince her that she might've been a tool all along, and if she was planning on getting revenge, no doubt she would need the Intel he had.

Jaune nodded, reaching out his hand formally. Cinder grinned and shook his hand, finalizing their trade. As she and Emerald walked into a private room, the blonde took a minute to inform his partner in crime over his recent deal. No doubt she'd probably deafen him with her outburst; it was a risk he had no choice but to face. He pulled out his scroll and dialed; fully confident she'd have the data fully analyzed by now, how wrong he was.

The scroll kept ringing until the other end finally clicked. A frantic and sleep deprived voice answered.

_"Jaune? Where are you? Never mind, you have to get back here, I just reviewed most of the data and..."_

"Before you say anything else, there's something I need to tell you. But you have to promise you won't get mad."

_"...ok?" _

Emerald and Cinder waited for the blonde to return, the woman glanced to the slender thief who was grinning widely. It was confusing until they heard a loud _'WHAT?!'_ coming from outside. They watched as the blonde nearly dropped his scroll from the initial shock, judging by the look on his face; his partner was either extremely pissed or needed a hearing check. In any case, the blonde finally returned with a somewhat pale face. Cinder pondered what kind of woman would make him so scared, and if she would be able to replicate such an effect.

"I'm going to put you on speaker." Jaune tapped the screen, putting her on speaker. "Ok, princess, give us what you were able to analyze."

_"..." _

"Princess?"

_"...of course, Ms. Dunois."_ Her voice gave off both a chilly and chanting tone_. "I finished reviewing most of the data we recovered from the tower's records, and I swear I spent all night reading and rereading the initial classified reports as well as individual records; they all came back with the same result."_

Jaune glanced to the collection of stolen shipments and smirked, believing he knew the answer. Although what he was about to hear was far from what he expected.

"Surprise me."

_"The dust mines the Schnee owns…scratch that, every single known dust mine in remnant; they're empty." _

"What do you mean; they're empty." Cinder asked, believing she might have heard wrong.

_"Depleted, picked dry, whatever you wanna call it, the answers remains; there's no more dust in the mines." _

For a moment, both parties had nothing to say. To say this news was shocking would be understating the situation. The kingdoms needed dust for protection against the creatures of the Grimm, and if the mines were completely empty, then what would follow once news of no more dust was indeed bone chilling. From riots in every major city, people arming themselves to the teeth, to possible outbreaks of civil wars. And one of the biggest causes of casualties would once again surface; an all-out Grimm war. Even Cinder, the international criminal, feared the bloody future that would plague these lands. It only took a moment before Weiss began speaking again.

_"That's not all; somehow, the raided shipments, specifically the ones attacked by the White Fang, were carrying more dust than what normal shipments allowed per transport. Someone altered the original files to make it look like the raid was on a small scale, but in actuality, the amount taken from every caravan was enough to supply an average sized platoon." _

"So what you're saying is..."

_"Someone on the inside, quite possibly one of the Schnee...is involved with the White Fang."_ Weiss couldn't bring herself to admit it, but it was the only possible explanation as to why these particular shipments were targeted, and why someone was trying to mask the reports with false information.

_"There's one last thing, it's a small segment, but it's protected really well. I'm still combing through these particular files one by one. I honestly can't believe I missed this...one second...it would seem the Schnee Armory is mass producing a newly developed weapon, I'm still going over this report but from what I can tell it's been prioritized for the last three years, and it's been distributed only to certain Atlesian military officials and outposts in major cities around Remnant."_

"What kind of weapons are we talking about, what makes them more important than dust?" Emerald questioned.

_"..." _

"Princess?" by the small moment of silence, Jaune feared what would come next.

_"... It's plasma." _

**And so ticks the clock until the beginning of the end. Oh, and the ****_'Ms. Dunois'_**** reference is from 'Infinite Stratos'. If you've seen it, the reference should make sense. If not, then you will notice it quickly once you see the anime. I thank you readers for sticking with this story thus far, and I hope these last chapters haven't disappointed you. The next chapter will be long, that I can promise, so it'll be a while before the next update. Thank you for reading.**


	11. The Ancient Evil Within Awakens

**-Vale Air docks- **

While waiting for the transport to dock back at the academy, Jaune couldn't help but think of what Weiss told him earlier. The idea of plasma weapons was just a theory, a technology far beyond the current level in Remnant. Or was it? The depictions of plasma weaponry in both fiction and nonfiction proved them to be a great advantage and even disadvantage to the wielders. But, they were just predictions, only educated guesses of what this kind of weapon could do if placed into action. Although, if those depictions were anything close to truth, and the Schnee were already producing and distributing these weapons to selected military officials, the question always came up; just what are they planning to accomplish? It wasn't a mystery that the Schnee owned their own private military, but it wasn't large enough to declare war, let alone overthrow a single kingdom. One thing was for sure, if the White Fang was played into stealing dust shipments, then that stock pile of explosives could have a large blast radius if targeted, maybe enough to level the city. But destroying cities would defeat the purpose of conquering, leaving more questions to flood his mind. Even so, he'd need to think this through later, Weiss was waiting back in her dorm and after the deal he made with Cinder Falls, no doubt the young heiress will scold him for acting on deals without properly running it by her first. There was one thing he couldn't stand, and could easily trump professor Port's intolerable rambling, was the heiress' scolding, especially when she put effort into it. Just as he reached the dormitory, Cerus appeared before him, his expression depicted a sense that his next choice of words would be best spoken in private.

"Jaune, I must speak with you." His tone showed a cautious approach. "Tai has brought something worrisome to my attention." Although reluctant, the blonde followed his uncle. Their walk stretched from school grounds to the cliffs. Secluded, and suspicious for a casual talk, if only it were such.

It only took a moment after they arrived for Cerus to turn him and speak with a cautious tone. "After catching a glimpse of Tai's semblance, what have you concluded?"

Though confused, Jaune answered. "Well, he says he reads memories, but taking into account how quick his illusion appeared and given the circumstances in which his opponent reacted, I think his main semblance is to manifest specific memories that give hid opponents great pain. But, that's just my speculation."

"It would seem we have both come to the same conclusion. But, you see, he has a tendency to read someone without the need of manifestation. So right now I want you to be honest with me; did you truly hold affection for Jade Arc?"

The boy was initially taken back by the sudden question, but thinking back on it, he found himself unable to answer. He took a moment to think it over; what could he possibly want with someone who should've been the most trustworthy in his life, yet lied to him about what she was? But then, why did she risk her life to save him if he was supposed to be expendable in her eyes? His emotions were fighting amongst each other over which should present itself in this situation. There was anger, sadness, confusing love, and a stinging pain in his heart; hatred?

Jaune lowered his head, "I-I-I want to say no, but I can't bring myself to reject what she was to me; my mother. Ironically, she taught me that blood wasn't what connected a family; it was the bonds I forged with the people around me. I guess if I really thought about it, what haunts me is to never knowing if she truly loved me; I'd be content knowing the honest answer. Because, even if she didn't love me, I suppose I did...I do love her."

Cerus placed his hand on Jaune's shoulder, and gave the blonde his answer "She did."

The blonde's head jerked up, his eyes fixed on Cerus, awaiting an explanation. "During her last moments, I whispered to her that we were equally monsters for our actions, but she smiled at my accusation. I assumed it was pride, but after I...killed her, I discovered that she truly loved you, and was ready to give her life to protect you. I am truly sorry for taking her life. But your answer just now only strengthens my faith in the Tenko's decision to place you as our family patriarch; I look forward to serving you, my king."

For a moment, Jaune took in the words he never imagined he'd hear; Jade did care. He fought it, but a single tear drop managed to run down his cheek as a smile imprinted itself. Before Cerus could ask, Jaune began chuckling softly, then loudly. "That honorific just now, it still hasn't settled in just yet...honestly, I don't think it'll ever stick. So just call me by my name..." A thought suddenly crossed his mind. "That reminds me, what was the name my parents gave me?"

It took Cerus a few minutes before he could remember the young boy's full name; it has been a while since anyone uttered it. Most just use the name given to the young king after he was taken. Although, the Tenko herself never once used the title 'Jaune' to describe her grandson. "Your full birth name is; Alaric Arktos, named after your grandfather from your father's family. Chief of the same tribe Ozpin and your friend Ruby descend from. In a way, I suppose you inherited that birthright as well. It is tradition for every first born Oni to take the surname of their human or Faunus parent, the children that follow after will take up either a different, or the surname of their Oni parent. Such as myself; I am Cerus Laelius, son of Volpe Laelius. Why, have you considered reverting back to that title?"

"Not at all, but I do have something in mind for that name. And on that manner, there is one thing I wish to ask you, if I may."

"By all means."

"How many of us are left, Oni I mean?"

"It may be hard to believe, but in the thousand years since our species went into hiding, counting you, there are 10 of us left. Seven here in Vale, and three currently living in Sera. My twins are the only Oni since the founding of Sera to be born outside the kingdom."

In all of Remnant, only ten of his people remain, they were just a handful of descendants. For a moment, Jaune began to wonder how the war even began, why was his species nearly sent to extinction, what exactly drove the ancient humans to betray his kind? And perhaps the most important question in his mind; why is the weakness of an Oni solely anger? After listening to his uncles and Ozpin boast of the history of powerful Oni, Jaune himself, for a time, began to believe his people were perhaps immortal. Cerus could see the boy pondering collective thoughts, in his mind he truly believed Jaune would grow to be a great king, but feared he might not live to see the boy finish the conflict between them and the Schnees.

The sudden cries of a small Nevermore broke his train of thoughts. The small Grimm landed on Cerus' shoulder, attached to its leg was a small written message.

"What is it?" Jaune asked as his uncle retrieved the parchment.

"It's a military courier, much more reliable, and fast for overseas assignments."

"I thought as an exile you'd have no say in any military matter."

"Technically true, but I still have enough influence left in my former ranks to receive information of what is transpiring in my home land."

**-Beacon, Headmaster's office- **

Once again, just as these past few days, Ruby arrived in the headmaster's office. Mainly to talk to Ozpin and the Tenko over what kind of a woman her mother was. Though the small huntress received many mixed opinions. Ozpin would say one thing, and the Tenko would tease him with memories that made the old headmaster cringe. In all honesty, Ruby was just glad to have more details of who her mother was, and to find out she had more family, especially one who was closely related to Summer. For this visit though, Yang decided to tag along. She couldn't deny she was happy for Ruby, seeing her smile and laugh while mentioning Summer again was truly a blessing for her. But, it did bring about a slight hint if jealousy, she didn't know a thing about her own mother, yet she pushed her own feelings aside and smiled for her kid-sister. Still, it was rather fun teasing Ozpin, especially by calling him 'Uncle Oz'.

"So, what does Hetzer mean?" Yang asked out of the blue. "You said it was Summer's birth name, what does it mean?" Ruby waited eagerly for a response. The Tenko smiled while Ozpin scratched the tip of his chin, chuckling nervously.

"It means; troublemaker." He responded.

"It was a name truly befitting her, especially how much she leveled my husband's home city market district just to beat down your uncle. It was quite the scene, as was the repair costs." The Tenko added.

This caught Yang's interest, leaving the headmaster to dwell in the memory in which he almost left this world for Valhalla, with his young niece by his side patting his back comfortingly.

"Please, go on, with details." Yang sat beside the Tenko, the old Oni grinned widely as she found someone whom could assist her with teasing the headmaster.

"Well child, think of this; a girl around the same age as your sister, slightly longer hair, with a young and bruised Ozpin beneath her heel. And in this case, he might've had another 'accident' before the battle began."

Yang was nearly bursting into laughter, picturing the usually cold and calm headmaster in such a state was indeed quite an image. Said headmaster was refraining from lashing out, the whole ordeal was an old tale, but it still brought back a few sores in regions once repeatedly struck.

Ruby on the other hand instantly remembered something even she couldn't resist the urge to ask.

"Um, can I ask you a question about Jaune?"

The older woman's first reaction was a sly grin; Ozpin on the other hand was dreading what she would speak of in regards to the blonde knight. Yang was keeping her attention solely on particular words her kid-sister would say, assuring if there was a need to eliminate or coerce the latter mentioned into a particular ending. "Of course child, ask whatever it is that clouds your thoughts."

"Well, during our initiation I made a big mistake and nearly got myself killed...Jaune used some sort of glyph to save me. But he got hurt badly, and I saw a girl, pretty and powerful judging by her aura levels. Though what bugs me is that she looked like a Grimm, and she only appeared by taking Jaune's place in battle. I've tried asking him, but something or someone always keeps him from answering. So what I want to know is; who or what is he?"

Both Ozpin and the Tenko were a bit stunned, they didn't think Ruby saw what transpire within the glyph, though they also didn't know she was inside to begin with. Yang rubbed the tip of her chin, it was her first time hearing this, but to think her fellow blonde was hiding such a secret. Or perhaps, maybe he wasn't a blonde, it did beg a good question; what is he...or she if that was the case?

The Tenko gently caressed the young huntresses hands, Ruby waited for eagerly for an answer. "My dear, curiosity is a wonderful and innocent trait to have, but I'm afraid there are some secrets my family holds that should remain dormant. _What_ is correct, and it goes for my entire bloodline. But with my grandson, all you must know is that he is the family Patriarch, and soon something bigger. If he has not said anything, I can only assume that he wishes to keep you from being involved in dreadful situations. I'm sure he will open up soon. Until then, believe me when I say; he must hide what he is to further protect you."

"Protect me?" Ruby questioned.

"Yes, our family in particular has a great deal of burdens that are worse than that stubborn-headed fool I have for a son; Cerus. My grandson is burdened with the mistakes of his predecessor, there is a path he in particular must walk, one that will most likely change him, and not in the best ways. So far, he has taken help from us, but continues his walk on the path alone. For now, give him time, let his mind ease for a bit, and then ask him for answers." Her words were for both Yang and Ruby, the two allowed her words to settle in. They felt a small aching pain, and a hint of sympathy. To think their always happy-go-lucky best friend held a burden passed down to him by his family. As the head of a family, obligation came naturally, but the Tenko's words implied that Jaune would go through a rough life that would put his own strain of morality and sanity to the test. Both huntresses wanted to help him, to be by his side and keep him from falling, but they knew it would be up to him whether he accepts their help or not.

**-Beacon Cliffs- **

"Murdered?" Jaune heard correctly, but it was a question out of instinct.

Cerus nodded, unamused, though mainly surprised it took so long for those old fools to take matters into their own hands.

"The council members all departed to Zheng to handle the unrest in the province, but their caravan, along with the escort detail were ambushed ten minutes after entering the territory. Reports say rebels were the cause...but..." Cerus' words trailed off to inaudible mumbling.

"You think otherwise?" Jaune asked.

"...I don't know. I'll need to converse with the Tenko over this situation, but if this is the case then she will need to return to take over before things become even more unstable. Which reminds me, I must attend to an urgent matter outside the city so I might not be around after speaking with the Tenko. Can you watch Emerald and the twins for me? We will speak more in the morning. Also, I need you to consider something important; now more than ever your homeland needs its King. There is no one left in our family who will take the throne, I ask you to claim your birthright. Take some time to think it over."

Once Jaune nodded, Cerus's physical form began to dissolve. Before disappearing completely he uttered lastly with a playful grin "oh, and have fun _with_ your date tonight." And with that, he was gone again. It was the manner in which he said _with_ that had the blonde slightly worried.

Though with this sudden turn of events, things were beginning to move pretty fast now, with the deaths of the last political figures in Sera, it meant Jaune would need to take the throne much quicker than expected. But what of his fight here, would he be forced to abandon his friends?

Then it hit him; he would have an army not just made up of humans and Faunus, but Grimm included. With such a force united with Vale's army, there was perhaps the possibility that the Schnee military would not succeed. But, how many casualties would emerge from fighting against a plasma arsenal, and more importantly who in Sera would want to participate in a war that wasn't their own? Relations with Grimm weren't exactly pleasant for any of the known four kingdoms. Even so, there was the matter of dealing with the civil unrest in Sera. So many problems, Jaune began doubting if he would have the proper makings for a king, much less a team leader.

His mind was burning itself out from overthinking the situation that he collapsed upon the soft grass and allowed his eyes to shut for just a moment. The gently breeze allowed his thoughts to ease; very slowly he started falling into slumber. That is, until a very loud clearing of a throat sealed his fate. The blonde opened a single eye, glancing up to see the heiress glaring down on him.

"Uh, hi?"

"Were have you been? First you go off and share secret information with the first stranger you meet, and then when we're supposed to go over the data you ditch me!"

"I didn't ditch you! My uncle just wanted to talk about...something."

Weiss's glare softened to a questionable glance. "And what would that 'something' be?"

"I can't say. Did you discover anything else?"

While Weiss was a bit shot down her partner in crime would withhold secrets from her, she put it aside as to address the matter at hand. "No, but I've been listening to my family's private transmission channel; they're cutting terminals that connect straight to the main data bank. No doubt their plans are being pushed to the final stage. I think it's time we showed the others what we found."

Jaune arose from his comfortable place amongst the soft earth, and brushed away any form of dirt from his attire. He kept the silence between them just a bit longer, he wanted to keep his friends away from all of this, but it was going to be their war. The best he could do was give them all the support he could, and maybe find a way to stop this coup d'état before it occurred. For a moment, he began to wonder how Weiss was dealing with all this, knowing her family was planning something this big. The day he awoke after Mishka's 'embrace', she was staring down at him with a great amount of regret in her eyes; he couldn't bring himself to hold her accountable for her family's actions. To begin with, why would he? Where is the logic in holding a child accountable for her father's sins? Besides that, Weiss was softening up since she began her training with Memnon, her mind was opening up to more possibilities. At some point she even came to him with the idea of abandoning her Huntress training. Being partnered with a Nevermore did kind of defeat the premise of becoming a Huntress in the first place.

Taking into account; Ruby caught a glimpse of Kat, but was always interrupted when she asked about it. Nora caught a good view of his, shall we say, natural marks, though the promise of pancakes everyday was enough to gain her silence. Either way, despite her personality, she wasn't really one to blab about things unless she had a reason to do so. And lastly, there was Blake; she knew what he was, and of Sera's existence. However, she was unaware of where this kingdom was, nor did she know Jaune was to be its next ruler.

Working with the small heiress against her family was indeed quite a team-up. They trained together in the forest, studied intensely, mainly per Weiss' demands, adding to it he was overprotective of her. In an older brother sense of course, Jaune cared deeply for his friends, and he'd do anything to keep them safe, but he wasn't sure in the case of coming face to face with Weiss' father; what would be the best course of action? Killing wasn't something Jaune thought of, nor did he plan on doing so frequently. But sometimes, even mercy had negative effects and this one would end badly for Weiss. If the man died, she would grieve the loss of family; if he lived she would live with the shame of having her father's imprisonment. It was a double-edged blade with no positive outcomes.

"Beauty and the Beast; that fits the two of you pretty good."

Both teens jumped when they were greeted by a new voice, behind them stood the leader of team CVFY; Coco. Unamused by their sudden flinch, she relayed a message to the blonde. "The headmaster is looking for you. He called up team RWBY, yours, and mine. Mind telling me what's going on?"

Knowing full well what the topic would be about, the blonde knight scratched the back if his head before mumbling quietly "Just try to keep an open mind."

**-Headmaster's office-**

Once the three missing members walked in, they found their friends already waiting with Jaune's grandmother, and her youngest son standing beside a terminal with a holographic layout of the city. Neptune was there as well, though Weiss acted as if the boy didn't exist, ignoring his subtle wave as she and the blonde knight made their way to the front of the group. The discussion began with the headmaster pointing out the intrusion of the CCT tower the night prior causing the Schnee channels to lock down completely, but more surprising was who the thieves were. When it was revealed who the culprits were, the reactions were as expected; confused, none of them expected the heiress to go against her own family. But the blonde being involved didn't surprise them to say the least; though Mishka was silently annoyed he didn't ask her for help. For Ruby and Yang, they could only assume the blonde knight was taking what little help he could from Weiss before asking her to stand aside. How much he changed since Cerus appeared, the lovable goofy knight was slowly drifting away. A cold, mature and virtuous man took his place, when his family looked to him they had pride in their eyes. He was becoming exactly what they expected him to be, but the question remained; what exactly? Neither sister knew what being a patriarch entitled, especially in this family, but judging by the way they interact with one another, perhaps keeping them in line was just one of the major duties he had.

"So, enlighten us. What did you find?" Ozpin sat down, allowing the two thieves to take the stage. There was no doubt the blonde boy was opposed to telling them, but Weiss had already started speaking before he could voice his argument. Instead of hushing the heiress, he stood aside and waited. When Weiss told every one of the depleted dust mines, their initial reactions were predictable; shock and confusion. More so when the heiress continued sharing the rest of the data, including the new arsenal within the hands of her family's private military. Nora and Ruby were, of course excited; apart from them no one in the room could believe that plasma weaponry would soon make its way into Remnant's history during their time. But in the midst of letting the information sink in, Jaune took over and revealed the documents that suggested intended raids of dust shipments from within the family ties. Currently, the biggest pocket of stolen dust lies within the warehouses by the docks. Given the data, and the encrypted documents relating to this new weapon, the leader of team CVFY had already drawn her conclusion. "So what you're implying, based on the information you've gathered, is that someone in the Schnee family is deliberately staging dust raids, and is producing these new weapons in secret with betas already shipped to Atlesian military officers who are allied with this person. And if I'm reading your tone right, then this means that a world war is inevitable. How am I doing?"

She wasn't the only one to come up with that conclusion, but she was one of the few who realized what this meeting meant in the long-run. The CCT infiltration pushed the plans of this mysterious Schnee forward, meaning this was a war meeting to decide what the next course of action would be. But there was speculation with entrusting a couple of students with the protection of an entire city, though considering the circumstances, it probably would be better not to trust any form of military.

"You'd be correct. And Jaune has something interesting to tell us, don't you?" Weiss answered Coco's question, turning to the blonde and nudging him to tell the others what he was going to do tonight. Jaune frowned for a moment, cursing himself for not foreseeing this, this girl was truly something. "I met with someone closely tied to the dust raids and the White Fang, we agreed to meet later today and discuss a deal. And if all goes well, then maybe a temporary alliance. If war does break out, we'll need all the support we can get."

"Basically he has a date with their leader, but I don't know who she is." Weiss stated bluntly.

That single word; she, started a growing murderous aura amongst a few of the attendees. Jaune felt a cold chill run up his spine; of course he wasn't the only one. Only the blonde boy knew who this mystery figure was, and now knowing it was a woman, it caused a great deal of worries. Reacting on her own emotions, his partner voiced her thoughts.

"Y-you can't go!" Pyrrha shouted almost instantly, upon realizing it she quickly covered it with "W-what I mean is; you can't go without support, what if this woman has something else in mind? We can't let our guard down if war is approaching."

"If you're considering an over-watch, then he'll need _one_ person to follow him closely, but not too close as to spark attention. If anything, Blake could do it." Ozpin pointed out. It wasn't an answer she expected, but the thought of a friend keeping a close eye on Jaune did give Pyrrha a shred of comfort.

"That will not be necessary. I've taken the liberty of calling in someone I believe has more experience with masking in the darkness. Dearie, you can reveal yourself now." The Tenko gestured to an unusually dark corner in the headmaster's office. A black silhouette emerged; the darkness seemed to cling to the figure as she removed herself from it. She walked slowly towards the group; her footsteps were calm and almost inaudible. The influence around her was somewhat dark and suffocating.

"Mother, who is this?" Nikolai felt a chill run up his spine just by staring the young teen in the eye. Her expression was empty, though her eyes were uncomfortably giving off a dangerous aura. Her attire consisted of a black and red military blazer, a skirt extending just past her knees, a red and white ribbon tied to the left side of her short blonde hair. Eyes; a dark shade of blood. Pale skin, and with nary a scar or blemish on her face, beauty was one trait she didn't lack. A child in appearance, though judging by looks was indeed a mistake not to be made with her kind.

"This young beauty here is part of our family as well, from my younger sister's branch, Laufeia Deyanira. When it comes to stealth, there is none better. However, she is currently the only survivor of her blood line." The Tenko's words brought a small glimmer of hope for a single minute, though slightly crashing as they discovered the small girl was the only one left from her side of the family. But nonetheless, they were glad to see another just like them, even Jaune was ecstatic to see more of his own kind. Although there was something about her dead cold eyes that did give off a warily influence.

"How is it we've never met her before?" Nikolai continued to examine the newcomer, baffled that his missing aunt actually had a surviving family, more so her line extended to a grandchild.

Before the Tenko could respond, the young girl raised her hand, asking permission to respond herself. When the old Oni nodded, she spoke "That particular information remains to be seen." Her voice was monotone, but sweet and mellow, unlike the cold expression she currently sported. "Who here is the family patriarch?" Her glance wandered towards the many faces within the room, her blood-crimson eyes took up a special interest on another blonde. Before receiving her answer she approached him, examining him extremely close. Their faces were mere centimeters apart. "Your aura is slightly murderous with a sense of virtue, which is quite confusing. But I can also feel a hint of darkness radiating from a pure core...I find that comforting." She used her left hand to gently stroke the boy's cheek, her height was almost the same as Ruby's. All the while Jaune was unclear whether to blush or be scared in this situation. Her monotone voice was awkward enough, but the manner in which she described feeling his aura was uncomfortable to say the least. And her hand was unbelievably freezing, but the short distance she was from his face, her warm, sweet breath was charming in an awkward manner. The others felt a similar fear when she appeared; the way the shadows stuck to her was a bit frightening. Though the way she reacted with Jaune gave off a glowing flame of interest.

"Laufeia, this is our family Patriarch. He is the one you shall be shadowing tonight. Assure that whatever business deal he partakes in goes smoothly, if not, then do whatever is necessary to prevent our family's blood from spilling on this foreign soil." The Tenko's words brought a faint, but uneasy smile on the girl's lips. The hand she used to stroke his cheek began to play with a small strand of hair. "Meraviglioso. I am looking forward to it."

"I still think I can do this." Blake's tone rose for just one second, but in that mere time the faint smile disappeared from the young Oni. At that instant, Blake knew she made a mistake; this girl was just like Jaune, and the manner in which she made her appearance; her powers would indeed be a difficult challenge. Laufeia paced calmly towards Blake, stopping only when their faces were a few inches apart. Clearly the young Oni had no sense in personal space, though it made her all the more intimidating.

"You think you can do better?" Her monotone voice edged on mockery, then a slight hint of anger. "You know not the damage I can do to you, physically and mentally." Her eyes began to glow faintly, Blake found herself unable to move as Laufeia's hands smoothly rode up from her stomach to her neck. Very slowly, she wrapped her fingers around the cat Faunus' throat, a small outline of darkness enveloped her hands as her grip tightened. "You cannot fathom the extent of my power, or my moral will." She leaned in closely, whispering into Blake's ear. "Humans or Faunus, I'll devour either with leisure. Slowly, and piece by piece."

In the blink of an eye Blake had disappeared, stunning the young Oni for a second before she picked up the girl's aura behind her, followed by a second company. Jaune held Blake in his arms, frowning warily at his cousin. "Leave my friends be." His tone was demanding and cold, Laufeia was faintly smiling at his annoyed attitude.

"My apologies." The emptiness behind her words was easily detected, but her powers were indeed an asset now, provided Jaune could find a way to handle her before this situation repeated.

After assuring Blake was fine, Jaune turned to the rest of his friends. "I know this is a lot to take in, and I wish this was all just a misunderstanding, but I'm afraid the fact remains; Vale won't experience peace for much longer. I need all of you to stay here and handle Ironwood and his men in case they feel the need to snoop around. And if they do...just make sure you don't beat them up too much..." Jaune took a moment to recollect what almost occurred the night prior "Ironwood's a different story." He stated dryly. Weiss and Ozpin smiled slyly.

"You can count on us, bro." Sun held his thumb up, as did a few other friends. While they all felt uncomfortable sending their blonde knight out to converse with a criminal leader tied to the White Fang, they knew his power would be enough to keep himself in one piece. Pyrrha was about to voice her thoughts when Jaune reacted quickly. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. It's just a dinner, nothing more. For now let's all do our part and keep our home in one piece."

Once everyone nodded, they all left silently, however Jaune held Blake back and waited for their friends to be out of hearing range. As soon as he felt their auras ping a good distance away, he held Blake's hand tightly at first, then gently. His eyes wavered, uncertainty clouding his thoughts, it confused the girl. Now that a great deal of responsibility was given to the boy, there were items he needed to address before continuing. Jaune thought back to Cerus' story of how he committed the taboo; all of the times he ever truly became a monster was because of his anger. Even in the forest, when Cerus appeared to him for the first time since Romdall, Jaune felt the overwhelming anger within his being blinding his view and clouding his thoughts. Kat was becoming more sadistic, and destructive with each passing moment. The former king was not only forced to kill his partner, but he killed his own wife because of her betrayal. There was no doubt that at some point, Jaune would be pushed, and when that happened, he'd need someone to either calm him down, or take him down. For good, if necessary.

"Blake, there's something I want to trust you with, but I need to know that you're willing to do it, regardless of any second thought." Jaune's words slightly worried her, when it came to trust; no doubt they had a respectable amount for one another. But if there was a secret he wouldn't reveal until now, before a supposed war, she suddenly felt a pain in her chest even before nodding. Jaune was about to ask her, but how could he? No one would want to kill their friend, Blake was the only one amongst their group who knew what Jaune was and it made her a viable candidate. Though it relied solely on her agreeing to do it, and thinking back on it, there was no way she would ever spill the boy's blood, regardless of how much of a monster he would become. She accepted him for what he was, and to a boy with such a secret, her friendship was a treasure to cherish.

"I-I-I...I want you to keep our friends safe, and whatever you do, never lose sight of who you are. Believe me, it's what makes you beautiful in every aspect." He couldn't ask her to do it; no one would give him the honor of being his bullet if he lost control. No, it wasn't an honor, but there was no way for him to be sure he would overcome his anger. When Blake's blush finally settle she nodded and left, giving him a few glances before going back to her dorm. Jaune was alone in the headmaster's office, pondering how to break the news to the rest of his friends, and what kind of reactions to expect from them. Blake knew the feeling of being born to violence, keeping secrets just to keep friends from getting hurt and to give the world a satisfaction that peace could exist. But there was one underlining difference between Jaune and his friends; his secret would bring about fear, rejection, and the will to eradicate. Blake would never harm him that much was already made certain, but if his friends knew what kind of a monster he was, would they fear him too? And what of Vesta and Mishka?

"Jaune~"

A small but 'manly' yelp escaped the boy's lips as his name was whispered into his ear, Mishka smiled victoriously. "No matter the years that've passed, I still manage to sneak up on you." The bear Faunus was more attached than she was before, and she rarely left his side, it was almost like Romdall, only now his friends were more wary of Cerus regardless of the fact that the two were family. The two of them caught up after their skirmish in the forest, reminiscing nearly forgotten times. Their little trio was complete after years of separation, though the biggest surprise to Jaune's teammates was the tame Beowulf; Vólkova. For Weiss, it wasn't much of a surprise, but it did strike her interest that someone else had a connection with a Grimm similar to hers with Memnon.

"If you're not busy, why don't you join us for lunch? Oh, and invite your cousin, she's...interesting." Mishka didn't give Jaune a chance to answer as she chased after Vesta. Once again the blonde stood at the doorway of the room, but not alone. His gaze turned to another shadowed corner, amazed and curious as to how she was able to do it. Though at the moment, he was more annoyed than amazed. "Laufeia, was it, I'll need to speak with her first."

"And what might you need from me?"

The blonde boy's heart skipped a few beats as he jumped from his current stand. The girl didn't emerge from the darkness in the corner, but rather from a darkened space behind Jaune. What worried him was being unable to sense her presence beforehand. After his heart settled, he cleared his throat and gave the girl a stern expression. "listen closely because I'm only going to give you one rule; you'll never lay an ill hand on my friends, and so long as I breath you won't kill Faunus, Grimm, or humans senselessly."

Laufeia grew a faint smile "Or what? Will you kill me?" She challenged him,

"I get the feeling you already know my answer."

The mixing aura was both playfully murderous and dead serious. It would've suffocated the party prior had they still been around. The young girl's smile ceased to fade; she placed her cold hand on Jaune's cheek. "My duty is to protect you, should your 'friends' act in a manner which defines treachery, I will be forced to put them down." Her words were clear, and spoken out of experience. Yet, her smile remained, her expression showed no signs of wavering. Jaune gently removed her hand and turned to the door. "When that time comes, I will deal with it personally."

"You would slay them; will your morality truly bend to such a point?" Laufeia's tone was now testing him, her head tilted in a curious manner, somewhat annoying the blonde.

With a stiff expression, Jaune responded "I will do what must be done, justly." And with nary a second look back, he left the young Oni alone in the headmaster's office. All the while missing what could've been the only moment he would've ever seen Laufeia's smile turn to a genuine form of sympathy. She watched as the blonde walked calmly down the corridor and back to the warm embrace of his friends, an envious sight. "That is a dangerous code to live by, for justice will not always be at your emotion's side. Nevertheless, you shall have my company. Whether you want it or not." Laufeia's physical form descended back into the shadows, a small eerie giggle escaping her lips before disappearing completely.

**-Later that day, Vale-**

On nights so close to the Vytal festival the streets of Vale were full of tourists from around the kingdom, along with them were high-class tycoons preparing for the celebration in their own lavish manner; fine dining and drinking. Those who grew up in this social status knew the traditions and manners that came with this standing, however to a certain blonde; it was a whole other world. All the different forms in which to act 'proper' were confusing to say the least, thankfully the heiress managed to drill a few good pointers in him before he left for his dinner. But then there was the attire; a suffocating black tuxedo with extremely uncomfortable shoes. Although, it was all worth what followed; seeing Cinder arrive in a red sleeveless ao dai, adorned with golden silk in floral patterns. Her slender frame fit stuck to the dress quite well, Jaune couldn't take his eyes off her for the beginning part of the dinner. As for Cinder, she couldn't help but laugh softly to herself as she watched the blonde struggle to breath in his suit. For the most part, both parties completely forgot the purpose of their intended meeting, spending most of the time exchanging small stories and jokes.

Jaune wasn't at all what Cinder believed him to be, for a boy his age she expected a nervous and ignorant child. Though what sat before her was a mature, calm, and mysterious man. Judging by his aura level when she first met him, she predicted an egotistical personality, and again he shot her worries down. Though, for her own protection Mercury came along as a bodyguard. As for the blonde, his protection couldn't have been much older than the overly-active leader of team RWBY. And by the way Jaune's eyebrow was constantly twitching; he obviously wasn't expecting this situation.

"Say, Mr. Arc?" Cinder called to the blonde knight currently pressing his fingers against his forehead. Catching his attention for a split second.

"Yes?" He replied.

"Are you feeling well?"

"Oh yea, peachy." He replied subtly sarcastic, his eyes glanced to the next table were Mercury was sitting across from Laufeia. Her never ceasing false-smile was uncomfortable enough to disturb the silver-haired lad before her. Jaune wondered why his grandmother assigned this girl to be his protection if she wasn't going to act stealthily. The whole idea was that she be his detail, secretly waiting to providing aid in case this deal went wrong. So then, why was she out in the open likes this?

"Is she with you?"

"Y-yea...sorry, but she's new and I honestly still don't know what to do with her yet."

Cinder saw the stress in his eyes, not uncommon for someone in their line of work. Discreetly, Jaune mentioned spoke of both his group, and their main objective. When asked what his group was called, the blonde answered truthfully, though also softly to keep from prying ears. "Oni."

Cinder was taken back for a second, but smiled after thinking on it. "Named after the mythical Grimm said to be the very embodiment of God-like beings. Interesting. Do you fancy yourselves gods?"

"Not in the slightest I assure you, but the members of this particular group are somewhat close to frightening should you underestimate them. Most of us seek the same goal; one Schnee in particular is our target, the others are relatively benign."

"Then we seek a similar goal. How many of you are there?"

"There are only 11 of us left. A majority are stronger than me, but, like myself, have little to no interest in fighting...at least I hope. Since we're trying to be friends here, I will honest about my group; the members of the Oni are...somewhat cursed. We come from a long line of warriors; we bear the weight of our ancestors and those who killed them. And I do mean that literally." Jaune struggled to form a faint smile. "Compared to them, you my dear might as well be as innocent and pure as the leader of team RWBY."

Cinder was silent for a second, and then responded with light laugh. This boy was indeed interesting, the blonde could only guess what she was thinking and their thoughts were way far apart. She glanced to the young girl frightening the silver-haired boy across from her, a new member of Jaune's group, and possibly just as powerful as him. Maybe more so. An impressive collection of warriors indeed.

"I see, then before anything else, I believe it is time for us to strike a deal, no?"

Before Jaune could respond, Cinder's scroll rang. With an annoyed glare she answered while walking away, clearly angered by the disruption. Meanwhile, Mercury was absentmindedly stirring his soup while stealing a few glances to Laufeia. The girl was still staring at him with the same uncomfortable smile since they sat down, her food remained untouched. Her silence was eerie, more so the dark aura he could feel emitting from her.

"Sooooo...what's on your mind?" Mercury asked, hoping to break the silent streak.

"I'm just wondering how long it would take for you to use the weapon in your boot before I slit your throat, blood usually gushes from the neck and I am a little parched." Her smile widened, causing Mercury to stiffen. How did she pick up on his weapon style, and more importantly, why was she saying all of that with such a charming, yet frightening tone. Just then, Laufeia giggled lightly and tiled her head "Kidding." It was at this moment the Mercury never felt so relieved, or awkwardly attracted in his entire life. He glanced to the table his boss was at, only to find that she was absent. Before he could rise she returned, though the frown on her face was more than enough of a warning to keep away from her. He wished the blonde knight much luck, and diverted his attention back to the creepy girl before him.

"Sorry, that was rude of me, but it was a call from an important associate." Cinder apologized, once Jaune nodded, the two reverted back to their conversation. "Which reminds me; who would you like me to research for you?"

Jaune reached into his suit's pocket and pulled out a small slip of paper. He slid it to her, calmly and with a serious expression. Cinder hesitantly opened the slip, her eyes dilated when she read the name on the paper; _Josef Schnee_. She folded the paper again and slid it back to the blonde. "You do realize those are treacherous waters even I wouldn't consider treading?"

"I realize that, but I have questions only he can answer. However, I also realize that in order to achieve my goal, I will need to make some questionable decisions."

"Once you've gotten what you want out of him, will you end his life?" Cinder's question brought a long moment of silence between them. It's true that Jaune wanted to find the man responsible for the many crimes he performed over the years, but would he end that man's life? He cleared his throat and responded calmly "I don't know."

"Interesting yet again."

Cinder's words once again broke his train of thought, and her smile showed nothing of a wary reaction to his choice of path.

"I've never met a man on a mission for revenge while withholding the urge to kill the source of his anger. In any case, seeing as we're both after the same goal, I see no reason to deny a, shall we say, partnership. What say you, Mr. Arc?"

"Firstly, you may call me Jaune, I don't necessarily enjoy formalities. Secondly, what, pray tell, are the conditions?"

Cinder's smile turned a bit sadistic, causing a small chill to run up the boy's spine. "Oh, I think you'll enjoy my single condition; Dinner with me, alone, any day I choose."

"To discuss our plans, right?" Jaune asked, slightly confused and worried if Weiss found out.

"Sure, that too." Cinder clamped her hands together. A waiter arrived with champagne for their table, pouring two glasses and leaving as quickly as he arrived. Jaune was unsure whether to drink or not, he did though raise his glass for a toast, but he wasn't sure if he would hold his liquor too well. Cinder held her glass to his, "A toast to a blooming relationship." She teased, though as dense as he was powerful, Jaune mistook it for a reference to their newly formed alliance. The woman glanced to her new partner whom was merely staring at his cup.

"Drink with me, you're young, I'm sure you can hold your liquor better."

Cinder's words actually eased him to drink, and surprisingly, he felt nothing even after finishing the glass in a single go.

"See, what did I tell you? Another glass?" Rather than wait for a response, Cinder poured another glassful of champagne. At one point even forcing a cupful down his throat. After about a few more rounds, the blonde was still perfectly fine, but his company wasn't too peachy herself. By the third glass she had already startled wobbling, while Jaune remained perfectly sober.

At that moment, both Jaune and the silver-haired boy shared the same thought; it was time to end the night. It would've been an easy departure, had Cinder not clung to him while stating in a slur; "A Jente mn eskortz a layde ome." (A gentleman escorts a lady home.) And so he did, little did he know her drunken state would only bring unnecessary attention to herself in Beacon, Mercury mentioned a living space Cinder owned just near the docks.

It was quite a walk, Laufeia disappeared with no warning, Mercury and Jaune were closely following Cinder as she attempted to walk straight. She almost tumbled on some occasions, though what the silver-haired boy was most troubled by was the lack of company on the streets of the slum. The fastest route to the docks by foot is the slums of Vale, and at night its streets swarm with distasteful individuals. But on a night when tourism is big in Vale, there were no souls up and about. In a way, it troubled Mercury, but at the very least he wouldn't have to waste his time fending off punks while protecting his drunken boss. Speaking of which, he noticed the blonde boy was oddly fine, even though he clearly had more to drink than Cinder. He knew the woman wanted a new ally after she shared the truth of their role in the White Fang; nothing more than puppets. And when the White Fang members discovered Taurus' fate, many of them began fearing the idea of Jaune as an enemy. Cinder's faction was losing its grip on power, and without a deal with this new group, no doubt the little support they currently held would eventually wither away. At the very least, these two groups had a common enemy; the Schnees. But, after eavesdropping a bit, it still unnerved him to believe that this new group only had a handful of members, and some of them might be stronger than their leader. On the bright side, the only reason this deal went down smoothly was due to Jaune's apparent connection with Emerald, and his boss's sudden interest in the blonde did add to it.

Upon arriving to the safe house Cinder had passed out, leaving the blonde to carry her bridal style. Mercury's scroll rang as he unlocked the door; his reaction to the caller ID suggested it wasn't a contact he was particularly fond of. He gestured to the second level. "Her room's on the left side facing the ocean, last room."

"Why don't you take her up?" Jaune argued.

Mercury shrugged. "I got a call from one of our contacts, she told me if I heard from him I needed to find out what he wanted. She's in your hands now, try not to get too burned." He teased while walking back to the inner city. Leaving Jaune alone with his new partner. Or so he thought.

"Well now, this is interesting."

Once again Jaune's heart skipped a few beats as Laufeia's presence was made known at his side. Her aura levels were spiking to dangerous levels "I must say, you are rather popular among the opposite sex. Che bello, no?" Her smile and influence were completely contradicting each other.

Jaune ignored her and went up the stairs with Cinder sleeping soundly in his arms, at one point she snuggled closely to him, sending another deathly chill up the blonde boy's spine. As he reached her room, he found a queen sized bed within a small room, a single chair by its side. A simple dwelling, though it didn't appear as if she was expecting to live long term here. Jaune laid her down gently, though as he pulled the covers over her she caught hold of his arm. Taking a quick glance at her current state, she was still passed out, but she wouldn't release her hold on the blonde boy. As he was about to use both his hands to gently break free, Cinder mumbled in her sleep, "Daddy..."

Jaune stopped when he say a small tear growing by the side of her eyes.

"...please don't leave me."

Her words were piercing the boy's heart, he sat in the chair by the bed and allowed cinder to hold onto him until she would eventually let go. Though when she held his hand close to her face, his beet red blush was matching Laufeia's eyes...speaking of which, he could feel her presence close by, but it was beneath them. Jaune still couldn't understand how she was able to disappear and reappear so suddenly without leaving a trace behind.

"Hey, Laufeia, can you contact my team and let them know I might be home late tonight? But, please be discrete about this." He whispered. Her answer was a shadow-like tentacle reaching into his pocket and retrieving his scroll. It retreated back under the bed as Jaune admired Laufeia's abilities. Though blushing somewhat as he made an inappropriate reference just then after remembering the many mangas and doujins Katerina made him read, all the explicit details.

"It's done." She whispered back, respecting the sleeping person in the room, all the while with a faint smirk.

Jaune stared at the sleeping woman whose grasp had yet to release. For the first ten minutes it was apparent that the only way to free himself was to forcibly pry her grip, but then there was the risk of waking her. Jaune stared at her sleeping form; calm and serene. To think she was a criminal mastermind, but what would she think if she found out Emerald was a member of his group. Jaune believed in honesty when in partnerships of any kind as to avert future conflicts, still, he wanted to know more about his new ally before sharing any more information than what he had already given her. For now, or at least in the morning, they'd talk just a bit more. She was interesting herself, though she was hiding something all the while, the question remained; what? Before anything else occurred.

"Laufeia."

On cue, the girl appeared before the blonde. "I want you to go back home and rest for the night; I'll be back before midnight."

"I was ordered to watch over you." She stated skeptically.

"I'm not giving you a suggestion, it's an order." He replied coldly.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes." Jaune couldn't say he was fond of his cousin, up until now she proved more of a hindrance than an ally. Her emotional state was more than enough to give off a unintentional hostile feeling. Keeping her around would only cause uneasy moments, and unnecessary tensions. Laufeia was well aware what the blonde truly wanted, she knew the boy was still wary of her. And although her loyalty was to the Tenko, she also knew someday her orders would come from him. The best way to gain his trust was to listen to him, if only for a second. Reluctantly, she bowed respectively and disappeared just as quickly as she appeared.

**-Beacon Dorms-**

Mishka placed her scroll away after receiving Jaune's message, her eyebrows twitched in annoyance. Why did he have to babysit this woman, where were her subordinates? Was such an irresponsible person truly an ally of his? Yet, something about it bothered her, it could've been her instincts, but that message didn't feel like it came directly from the blonde knight. He had a manner of sending quick, short, and lightly detailed messages. This one was long and fully detailed. Not to mention how badly he was with fully detailed descriptions. She sent a number of responses, though there was no reply since the first message. Leaving both the bear Faunus and the wolf Faunus, Venezia, to worry for their blonde knight. Both huntresses stared at one another before a unison thought flashed. They quickly armed themselves and snuck out, though not stealthily enough.

Ren caught sight of the two just as their feet stepped off school grounds, if they were worried enough to break dormitory curfew, it meant his team leader might be in trouble, or they were being overprotective again. Either way, it wasn't a risk worth taking. He set off to both his and team RWBY's room to inform them and hopefully to assist their friend.

However, unbeknownst to the two with a head start, there was a trap awaiting them not too far ahead. One that would force the hand of the very person they set out to save, and eventually set the world ablaze.

**-Vale Docks, next morning- **

Jaune somehow fell asleep while babysitting Cinder, though as he awoke the next morning, his movements felt restrained in more than a single arm. His eyes opened slowly, the first picture to be burned into his mind were two figures chained to a wall, nearly naked and badly bruised. Fresh blood mixed with dried blood as their breathing was a continuous weak rasp. As what little light shone on their faces, Juane's eyes opened fully. To his horror, before him were his childhood friends chained by their arms, as was he. Although, for him, accompanying the chains were railway nails hammered through the bone in his palms. How he was unable to feel them when they were initially placed in was not the current problem plaguing his thoughts. He tried struggling, but the pain from the nails was catching up to him with excruciating torment. The real pain, however, was seeing his two friends in such shameful manner. They were stripped of their clothing, left only with their undergarments. Their heads hung low, even when hearing the blonde's calls, refusing to face him under the circumstances.

"Vesta?! Mishka?!" Jaune's cries went unanswered. He could sense their aura pings, they were alive, but his aura was drained and he couldn't free and heal himself simultaneously. His body reacted on instinct and tried closing up whatever wounds he had, but it was slower than ever for some reason. All the while, a few new arrivals came in; one was smiling while twirling his cane playfully. The others wore the trademark attire of the White Fang,

"Hey now, no need to shout scraggly. They can hear you just as do we. But, I'm afraid other things are on their minds at the moment. More specifically, from the night prior." The man's voice turned sinister, his men smiled to one another, implying the worst. Jaune turned to his friends; he could see tear drops falling down their cheeks. Vesta's stayed quiet, but Mishka moved ever so slightly, her head lifting to meet Jaune's gaze. Her eyes were empty, drained of any reason for living. The boy's eyes began shifting color, he struggled to break free from his restraints, but his efforts were in vain, all the whole the constant struggle reopened the wounds caused by the nails.

"Don't struggle so much, you might pass out before the main event." He grabbed Jaune by his throat and examined the boy carefully; scrawny, a pretty-boy at best, but there weren't any standout traits. "So, what makes you so special?"

"Roman!?" The sudden holler broke the man's current image. The men around him shivered as the source of the voice drew closer, her hand caught hold of the man's trench coat and shook him violently. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! I already explained the situation beforehand; they are our allies! Stand down, now!"

Roman, unlike his men, recovered quickly from the woman's entrance. With his usual smirk, he quickly retrieved a blade from his sleeve and stabbed his boss in her stomach. She stuttered with the most confused expression, losing her grip on him and collapsed at his feet. Before so, she uttered weakly "Roman...why?"

Rather than answer, Roman lit his cigar and wiped away whatever blood he could from his hands. "Sorry kitten, but the tables have turned. Besides, what did you expect when you tried allying yourself with someone who killed a very important role model for the White Fang?" Roman kicked her dying body lightly, satisfied with an obstacle cleanly removed. Well, removed at least. He then returned his attention to his captives, the boy had not given up to try and free himself. His armor was removed, but the sudden glow of the markings on his chest made the White Fang members around him uneasy. More so the changing eye color, followed by the murderous aura emitting from him.

_'Good, this is exactly what the old Schnee predicted. Now then, for the finishing touch._' Roman gestured his men to bring a small screen before the blonde.

Jaune on the other hand was feeling his mind going blank; all he focused on was beating the hell out of these bastards for what they did. Murder; that's all Jaune wanted to do. He and Kat were slowly losing the willpower to deny the blissful emotion. Every second of anger increased their power, but it was also drowning their self-conscious. Just by an edge, Jaune managed to control himself, somewhat causing a momentary collection of relief from the men around him. His physical shape was weakened, but his willpower managed to keep itself atop the anger. That is, until Roman played the final card.

"You're strong kid; the old man said you were." An image of Beacon appeared on the small screen, a separate window with a masked figure on the left smiled at him. "Well done, Jaune...or is it, Alaric?" That voice. No doubt, it was _him_. "It has been so long since I last saw you and Katerina." Just hearing him again was beginning to overthrow what little self-control remained.

"You! What is this?!" Jaune's mellow tone was suddenly masked by a deepened echo, shocking both him and the onlookers in the room. "What did you do to me?!"

"Have you not paid any attention to your uncle boy, because I most certainly have? This is the true form of your damned species. For more than a thousand years, your kind and the Grimm have plagued this world with darkness, but now you shall aid in ending the threat. With this, the world will gather under a single banner, united for a common purpose. You, my boy, are the martyr. It is a kindness you do not deserve." The man raised his left hand; within his grip was a tiny device. "Now, show Remnant the monster you really are." His thumb pressed down and the image showing Beacon displayed the complete destruction of the school and all within it. The blast so loud, it even filled the ears of the citizens in Vale. Jaune watched as what was left of his school lay in ruins, burning to ashes. "Roman, finish the rest." The man's image flickered off while the criminal aimed his cane towards the head of the girls.

"No..." Jaune whispered "stop..." His strength was finally depleted; the nails in his palms were driven deeply into the wall leaving him immobilized completely. How did it all come to this? His newfound ally was dying at his feet, his childhood friends were about to executed in front of him. The entirety of Remnant was about to be thrown into a world war, his friends...his friends were...and the school was...he failed. There was no doubt, he failed. He couldn't protect them. As if a switch flipped, Jaune's aura sent a large ripple beneath his feet. His mind was now focused solely on revenge, nothing but senseless killing. His markings began glowing again, only this time, they enveloped his body entirely in black. The nails were shot out of the wall, striking a few men standing nearby. The blonde wailed loudly, his tone lowered with each passing second, followed by a louder echo. A sudden pulse of power sent out a massive shock wave, nearly destroying the warehouse they were in. The wreckage caused a major gathering of both civilians and local forces. Roman rose from the debris, he didn't expect that little show, nor did he anticipate what would follow.

Within seconds, the dust settled. What became of the boy was something that was no longer human, yet its physical form proved similarity. Jaune's human form was replaced with something else. His short, blonde hair was replaced with long, unruly Raven hair. Innocent ocean blue eyes became bloodthirsty crimson. His skin darkened, and a single white horn with a red ring near the tip grew in the middle of his forehead. Whatever cloths on him were completely burned off, giving way to a hardened exoskeleton. His very form shocked the White Fang beyond belief, to think such a creature existed, and they helped release it.

It slowly, and calmly made its way to Roman, whom was paralyzed by the unexpected transformation, he couldn't react accordingly to this. He was lied to; this wasn't what he signed up to do. The creature griped the criminal's his coat tightly, it faintly smiled, and then with ease repeated the exact sin he witnessed whilst watching his home burn. He devoured Roman, not quickly, but slowly and with leisure. The man's screams of agony drowned the ears of those watching. The gushing blood and crunching bones filled the dead silence.

Within a few minutes, it finished. Its clean armor was now soaked in bits.

Many of the White Fang members couldn't believe what they had witnessed; backing away as slowly as they could while watching the monster clean its blood soaked claws. Regret clouding their minds, was freeing this beast truly worth it? Did the man who created this thing know exactly what he wanted unleashed? Or, did he in fact create it?"

The creature let out a mighty roar. It's voice reaching far along the city and forest outskirts. Grimm near and far shuttered, fearing the resurrection of a being they would once again call brethren.

Seconds after its release, several Atlesian Paladins and legions of armed soldiers had surrounded the area in a tightly enclosed formation. Behind them were veteran hunters. Neither dared move, for such a Grimm was never faced, there could be no prediction of strength or power.

The beast raised its arm, a few soldiers flinch in the process, and it did the unthinkable. The one thing no one would ever expect from a Grimm; it spoke.

**"I...give birth to sin, curse many, bless few, devour all. I am...Oni."** The once sweet and mellow voice of a good-hearted knight was now deepened and gruff. Its mere presence sent a deathly chill down any that gazed upon it, its voice tone paralyzed onlookers with fear. Many took notice to the blood and gore remaining around it. A few soldiers were already wavering; Hunters that got a small read off the aura levels had worried expressions. This thing, how it was able to hide its presence up until now was a mystery. But now, it made its entrance, and when faced with a Grimm within the walls of Vale, the Atlesians did what they knew best.

"Kill it! Everyone open fire!" An Atlesian commander hollered.

Grenades, missiles, tracer rounds, even dust rounds were fired in unison. Those with melee weapons made no movement; none were brave enough to approach this beast, at least not in this firefight. The number of rounds fired could've leveled the docks 3 times over, but when the smoke cleared, there stood the proclaimed Oni, unscathed.

"Continue firing!"

Now, a seemingly endless barrage of human cowardice began raining down on the lone creature which showed no form of reaction to its current situation. When the smoke cleared from the high explosives, the smaller tracer rounds could be seen bouncing off what appeared to be an aura bubble. The barrage of bullets had no effect whatsoever in the fray so far. Meaning their continuous fire was just a waste of ammo.

"All units cease fire!"

When the dust finally settled, there again stood the Oni, unscathed. The current commander of the small army gripped his side arm tightly. The soldiers around him trembled, many began wavering, some actually dropped their weapons. "Hold your ranks! Stand togeth-" Before the commander could utter anything else; a single claw pierced his chest, the Oni stared down at him with emotionless eyes. The commander's gasp for air was replaced with gurgling blood overflowing past his throat.

The nearby men scattered almost quickly, none wanting to share a similar fate. The Oni stared at the officer for a second, then threw away the body as a child would toss a rag doll. Those who wanted to be heroes aimed their rifles and fired, Hunters began to charge at him. But, mere humans using their semblance to attack a mimicking Oni were like handing over a signed death sentence. The troopers and civilians watched as the Grimm effortlessly dismembered and incinerated the souls brave enough to try and kill him. He showed no remorse, hatred so strong veteran hunters and civilians alike could feel the toxic influence. From atop a building, Cerus watched as his nephew grew stronger with each person he devoured. If he kept going, then he'd truly become just like him; a monster with no honor or dignity. Now was a good time as any to bring in his reinforcements. He aimed his palm into the air, focusing his aura into a small ball of energy, and firing into the clouds.

**"ALERT! ALERT! UNIDENTIFIED GRIMM DETECTED IN THE SEAPORTS! THIS IS NOT A DRILL, ALL NON-COMBAT PERSONNEL REPORT TO EMERGENCY BUNKERS! I REPEAT; ALL CIVILIANS REPORT TO EMERGENCY BUNKERS! ALL UNITS ARE TO ENGAGE THE THREAT, IMMEDIATELY!" **

Sirens all around the city were being triggered as the panicking population watched a swarm of four-winged Grimm descended from the clouds, all of them bearing an unknown banner, and rider. Cerus pressed two fingers to a small communicator in his ear. "All Seran Hornet riders within the sound of my voice heed the following commands; eliminate any form of Atlesian military from this city, spare the civilians. I need a few willing men to fire a few rounds towards the king, but do so quickly, or we'll lose him to blind rage." A few squadrons broke off from the main swarm and sent projectiles of concentrated aura towards the Oni below, their attacks had somewhat of an effect as the beast used its arm to block most of the direct strikes rather than allowing its aura to act as a quick shield. The rest began attacking the Atlesian forces within the city. Many onlookers were shocked to see Grimm with riders, attacking both the soldiers and the beast by the docks. Within seconds after the swarm arrived, two Atlesian Destroyers; Trinity and Avalon, arrived on scene unleashing their own swarm of Locust fighters.

**"Pests."** Jaune muttered, raising his arm, opening various dark glyphs. Upon their activation, thousands of projectiles where shot towards the Atlesian Fighters, all direct hits, destroying both transports and fighters within a matter of seconds. **"Child's play."**

The destroyers aimed their primary cannons, disregarding the blast radius the first few rounds would cause. Yet just as they were about to shoot, Trinity burst into flames, the explosion came from within. The sudden eruption stunned the crew within the Avalon before they could fire. The descending airship's bridge was ablaze while a single figure stood atop the falling wreckage.

Only one below identified him. "A little bit excessive, Nikolai." Cerus commented while the burning rubble crashed into the ocean.

The Avalon's engines burst unexpectedly, in the midst of the confusion over Trinity's demise, a small squadron of Grimm fighters flanked the ship and struck its engines. Along with the engines, by a stroke of luck the fighters also disabled the weapon's systems. The crew quickly set the ship down on the ocean, luckily for them; there wasn't as much of a fatality as the Trinity.

**-Beacon Academy Airship ports- **

Ironwood and Ozpin watched as the city under siege had its only air support shot down. The headmaster smirked, fully aware of the Grimm air fighters and their sudden intervention. Ironwood, having no experience with organized tactics coming from the Grimm was shock to see them in formations. Much less watching his army slowly wither. "Avalon! Assessment!" Ironwood growled into his head piece.

_"Sir, engine cores have spun to zero, primary and secondary weapon systems are offline! The sectors containing the 'special arsenal' are completely pulverized! Our wings are clipped!" _

"Crew status!?"

_"Minimal casualties inside Avalon. No ping from Trinity's crew. All Locust fighters and troop transports were shot down; heavy casualties are mounting inside the city!" _

"Transfer me to Commander Carter, tell him I want a full assessment of the current situation!"

_"His tag reads; KIA, sir." _

Ironwood's eyes widened. "Lieutenant Stevenson?"

_"KIA." _

"Lieutenant Nally?"

There was a momentary pause. _"...KIA, sir."_

"Then who the hell is in charge of the forces in the city!?"

_"Currently...Sargent Major Callaghan. Patching him through."_

Once the lines connected, the sounds of the explosions and screaming could be heard very clearly. The continuous gunfire however was drowning the frantic cries from the caller. "General Ironwood?!" Came the rasping voice from the other end.

"Sargent Major, assessment?!"

"Sir! Order a retreat, please! We won't last much long-..."

The line went dead, the call redirected back to the Avalon. _"Sir, Sargent Major Callaghan's ID just pinged KIA." _

Ironwood watched in disbelief as his military was being annihilated in less than an hour. The plasma arsenal was destroyed before it could see combat and the men below were mere cannon fodder compared to the elite infantry from the Trinity. But now, all the plans he had were crumbling, what made it worse was the sight of a Grimm swarm taking control of Vale's skies. The blitz was focused on eliminating the Atlesian forces, and trying to control the rampaging Oni. With reinforcements too far to arrive in time, and with the resurrection of this mythical being, the world will now once again tremble in fear. Or worse, they would rally behind it. If his military couldn't kill this beast here and now, then the dependence of a plasma armed army would shatter. Ironwood had no choice; the city of Vale would have to be erased if the Schnee wanted to prove its dominance. Ozpin had other plans, knowing full well who was behind the destruction of his school and the intended betrayal, he charged towards his former ally with a dagger in hand. Sadly, it would never spill blood as a single bullet struck the old headmaster. The shot came from a hovering Bullhead; the wielder was a fully armed Schnee soldier in ebony armor.

"General Ironwood, a message from Führer Josef; Well done, but your services are no longer needed." The soldier then proceeded to but a bullet between the General's forehead. The bullhead wasted no time taking off and evading before the fighting would eventually spread outside the city walls. As Ozpin lay with an open wound, his head turned slowly to the burning city. He could feel his body growing colder, though a sense of comfort in the fact that he evacuated the school before the bombs went off gave him a peace of mind. Only now, he wondered what would become of Ruby, and Jaune. So many things left to do. With a faint smile, Ozpin shut his eyes and allowed himself to finally rest, saying one more prayer to Oum to keep his niece safe and for his love to find a safe haven in this war.

**-What's left of the Vale docks- **

In less than an hour, much of the docks and buildings nearby where reduced to rubble. The Atlesian soldiers were routed; the majority lay dead by the feet of the Oni. Their blood dyed the harbor red, streets littered with corpses, and the foul stench had already attracted crows for a feast. Walking amongst all what remained of these traitors; Jaune glanced to the burning rubble. Once the sounds of battle furthered into the city, he could hear the ocean waves crashing against the ports. His eyes dilated as he noticed a sight he wasn't prepared for. Small child was kneeled over her wounded mother. A piece of wall from a nearby building collapsed and kept her pinned down. The little one tried with all her might to lift the large concrete block, but her strength couldn't even make the block budge. Tears were streaming down her dirty cheeks as she continued to try, even when the blisters on her hands were beginning to bleed lightly. Yet, beside the small brave soul were others either completely crushed or killed by a stray bullet. In either case, there were corpses of civilians scattered about. Innocents who had nothing to do with this battle were dragged in, some were holding on to their loved ones as they bled, out waiting for help that would never come. The numbers of dead were mixed, and there was no manner in which to tell apart the bodies. The ash and rubble made the scene all the more gruesome. Here, the blonde bared witness yet again to the defining a human's core; war. The Grimm above attacked him momentarily, but their attacks knocked some of his rage out of him, yet now he wished to be blind to this. The massacre that occurred here was not just the doing of the soldiers; it was his hands that were stained with this sin, both literal and figuratively speaking.

Jaune gazed back to the child, desperately trying to save her mother. The block looked easy enough to lift, and the woman's wounds weren't too fatal. As the Oni approached, the little girl caught sight of the beast and threw a rock at him. It missed, but it did stop him in his tracks. "Stay away! Monster!" She yelled out, standing in front of her mother while extending her arms out, acting as a shield. How those words pierced him, yet how could he reject the title? Looking around, it fit him perfectly; a heartless monster. A shard of glass on the floor showed his Oni form. Truly frightening, and disgusting. A small rumble brought the blonde's eyes back to the little one. Large piece of rubble was about to tumble and fall atop the only humans left alive in this section of the city. With no haste, he used his increased speed to hover the two survivors. With little effort he lifted the block pinning the girl's mother and caught hold of them, jumping aside as the falling rubble crushed anything left beneath it.

The Oni placed down the child first, and then proceeded to heal the mother. Thanks to the transformation, his aura supply rose exponentially. Within minutes any trace of wounds on the woman were healed. Without looking twice, Jaune healed the child and walked away. He couldn't atone for this sin, but he could still do some good, regardless that no honorable deed would ever mask this disgrace. Then it hit him; those unknown Grimm were still hovering over the city, though they weren't attacking. If these were invading Grimm, then killing them off would end the firefight, seeing as how the Atlesian army was utterly defeated not too long ago.

"Jaune..." That voice, it belonged to...

From where the warehouse once stood, Mishka was barely able to hold herself above the rubble. Her legs were shaking violently, and it looked as if her left arm was dislocated. She stared at the blonde, not in disbelief, but out of empathy. She reached out to him with her right arm, a weak smile managed to show itself. Sadly, her legs gave way, though just as she was about to collapse, the Oni caught her and cradled the dying girl in his arms.

"M-m-Mishka...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Jaune's deepened echo was subsiding, and his human form was beginning to the shape again. Cerus stared from afar with widened eyes, never before did an Oni recover so easily from a blinded rage. What Josef did was more than enough to provoke the blonde to go insane with bloodlust, yet his conscious still remained. The shock blasts earlier had no effect on him, so what exactly gave him the strength to recover? There was no way he or Kat would've been able to fight their barbaric instincts, and yet here he was.

Mishka used her right hand to cup Jaune's cheeks, now streaming with tears. "I couldn't protect you. I failed." He shut his eyes tightly, her skin grew paler, and the light in her eyes was fading too quickly. His arm immediately went to work healing her, but to no avail. With his anger soothed, he returned to his human form. Meaning his power was weaker, and not enough to save his friend.

Mishka merely smiled and used what little strength she had left to rise to his level, and connect their lips. The taste was that of iron and salt, but the sentiment was all that mattered. Mishka ended it slowly, releasing a heavy sigh. "You have no idea how long I've waited to do that." She uttered weakly. Her strength was finally fading faster, and by the confused glances she gave, the world had gone black for her. "Jaune, please, promise me...one last thing." Her breathing was weaker, and her voice edging to a whisper tone.

"Anything."

"Live. You have to live...please...live..." With last breath exhaled and a faint smile left on her lips, her eyes shut, but not before watching the last glimmer of life fade from her eyes. She was gone. His childhood friend, the first friend he ever had, and the first woman he ever loved; lay dead in his arms. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, his team, the students at Beacon, Vesta, and Now Mishka; all of them were dead because of him. No cry in Vale was more frightening or heart-crushingly painful that day than that of the survivors mourning for their fallen.

Cerus continued to watch from afar, with the death of his loved ones, Jaune would no longer have a reason to stay, but then he also lost a great deal of hope in living. Had Mishka not made him promise to continue living, the boy probably would've offed himself. Then again, this is war, sooner or later people will eventually die, war helps to speed up the process. Cerus glanced to the sky; the Hornet fighters had completed their job and began to break off from the city. At this very moment, Vale was in a panic, and even if the Schnee forces marched down the streets with plasma weapons, the attack just now proved how ineffective and incompetent they are when facing the Oni. It was clear Ironwood's hubris got the best of him this time, relying on his kingdom's technology, rather than the bravery of his men. And it did him in. But, even so, this all went according to Josef's predictions. To think a human like him was able to foretell this outcome, but why record his thoughts on an easily accessible terminal? Was he deliberately leaving breadcrumbs for Jaune to follow? If that was so, then the poor boy was playing the man's game right to the very note.

But, now was the time for Sera's king to come home. A few Hornet riders landed by him, this was good. With this, they would be able to take both their king and his fallen love back with them. And, at the very least, give the girl a proper burial. Cerus approached his nephew; the boy still cradled his friend close to him, unwilling to accept the hardened truth. Hesitantly, the old Oni struck the blonde with the hilt of his scimitar. As the riders carefully carried the bodies away, Cerus took one last look towards the burning rubble of what was once Beacon. He knew well Ozpin would never leave his school, and if he survived, the Schnee would've by now erased all traces of their betrayal. With a heavy heart, Cerus bowed respectfully for his closest friend, and left with the riders back to Menagerie, to Sera.

**I don't know if I stressed this at all, but this will not be a harem fic, Jaune will be paired with one girl. And I do plan to build on it, I will leave you, my readers, with this quote, ****_"If there is to be war, let it be in my time so my children will know peace."_**** Do what you will with it, but I hope it can give you a guess as what is to come very soon. If there are any who think I should just name the pairing now, rather than surprise you all speak now or forever hold your piece. (And I intentionally spelt that last part the way it is because I don't want to be bombarded with shippers who expected a different pairing). Also, we are not leaving the world of Remnant, but the setting of the story will shift to the continent of Menagerie. So, still in the world of RWBY, just exploring a new frontier. And to all the readers who've stayed with this story thus far, I to thank you all for your support. The favorites, follows, and reviews are part of the main reason I continue this story. Once again, thank you, and thanks for reading.**


	12. Florentiae

Darkness, it's all a lost soul could see. And for Jaune, his mind remained secluded from the outside world. His memories replayed the constant screams and gory scenes of the bloody massacre he caused. His power at its highest, the feeling was so intoxicating; withstanding a barrage of artillery and brushing it off as if it was but simple specks of dust. Instilling such fear amongst the ranks of what was supposed to be the most advanced army in Remnant; the majority of the forces stationed in Vale reduced to a mere handful of men. But then came the aftermath, the toppled buildings, burning ruins, and wails of survivors. He intended to protect, but instead did the exact opposite. And Kat, she would not speak to him, her own mentality was on the brink had she not shut herself off. He so clearly remembered his mind losing itself to anger; he heard Kat's screams as she desperately held on to sanity. Unlike the Ursa Major she descended from, violence wasn't in her personality. Perhaps that was the reason she and Jaune were a perfect match for each other. Yet, when he so easily lost himself, she held on, all in vain sadly. He could only imagine what she went through fighting him, trying to regain the lovable fun-loving second half of her. It was her sudden break of connection that gave Jaune enough time to cool down and return to his human form. But the damage was done. The breaking point; his childhood friend, tortured while he was unconscious, confessing her love for him in her final breath, and eventually dying in his arms. It was an unbearable thing to handle, much less cope with after the fact.

As he lay in a darkened room, a pair of ruby red eyes was watching down on him. Her dead cold hand gently cupped his cheeks while she pressed her forehead against his. Upon doing so, his hardened expression began easing, relaxing him. The newcomer cringed, but continued to do this until finally, the boy's aura eased ever so slightly. It was enough to keep the hardened memories from oppressing him, for now at least. Laufeia rubbed the brow line of her forehead, indeed this boy had a plethora of painful memories, especially of what occurred many days ago, so much that it even made her feel a momentary sense of fear. A feeling she relished, she played with the blonde's hair for a while before whispering in his ear, "For tonight, please sleep well. The burdens you carry are ones that make us equal, and I shall carry with you, my king." She giggled softly to herself upon uttering that honorific. Without another word left to utter, she returned to the dwellings of the darkness, a faint feeling of empathy and offloading a majority of his pain was at most all she do at this point.

**_"Laufeia."_** Came a calm whisper.

Before descending back into the shadows, Laufeia came face to face with Jaune's other half; Katerina. The two stared one another down, ruby red vs bloody crimson. Laufeia knew what was on the girl's mind; why didn't she appear during the rampage? Wasn't it her job to protect her patriarch? But, on the other hand, because of what she did now, Kat no longer ran the risk of losing her sanity, and Jaune was finally at ease. Yet, for someone who could withstand bearing the pain of someone else, her mentality was indeed stronger than Jaune's. Much so, the ability to conceal her presence at will. Laufeia was an invaluable ally to have, but her mentality in itself raised caution.

**_"Thank you...for helping him." _**

Laufeia smiled, "It was a pleasure, after all, so long as his core emits that sickling sweet darkness, I will not allow him to fall into despair. Or at the very least, not again." She stated while disappearing again into the shadow, leaving Kat alone in the dark room.

**-Next Day- **

A small ray of sunshine managed to slip through the curtains, awakening the young boy resting from his ordeal. One eye slowly opened, his vision still groggy, though both opened quickly as his memory failed to recognize this...luxurious room. The walls and floor were made of peach-colored alabaster stone. The bed was double that of a queen size, filled to the brim with pillows of the softest fabrics. As Jaune set his bare feet down, a small feeling of warmth brought his attention to the floors beneath him, despite the cool temperature in the room the tiles beneath were heated. Rising from the bed, he noticed a great weight lifted from his chest; his armor was gone and replaced with some kind of a silk tunic. The door to the room opened, the figure whom entered wore a black chest plate, metal greaves, a darkened violet tunic beneath his armor, and a similar colored cape clipped to the collar of his armor.

"I see you're awake." His smile was small, though the sentiment behind his words was a great deal of care. He approached slowly, his metal greaves clanking loudly against the tiles beneath him. "I'm glad to see you're in good health, you had many of us scared."

A small glimpse of recollected memories flashed in Jaune's head, momentary split headaches caused him to press his fingers against his forehead.

"Is something bothering you, sire?"

Jaune waved dismissively towards the figure "No, just...a stinging headache." His eyes snapped open at the realization of the honorific just given to him. He turned his head slowly to see his guest, the sun's light showed a familiar pair of ebony eyes.

"Are you alright, Jaune?"

"Uncle? You're..."

Cerus smiled and patted his left pauldron, whilst giving his nephew a nostalgic glance. "It's been a while since I've worn this. A Praetorian chest plate is pretty heavy, but there are perks that come with it. Such as not getting attacked by the palace guard." A soft chuckle escaped during his last sentence.

Jaune took another look at the room, a portrait of two royals looked down on him with proud smiles. The woman had long hazel hair, porcelain skin and dark brown eyes. The man next to her mirrored Jaune, though his hair was slightly longer and braided. The man sported a more masculine appearance. Beneath the portrait was a similar set of armor that his uncle wore, this set looked as if it would fit him perfectly. Odd, since the armor had accumulated a great deal of dust, a sign that it was left her long ago. A small breeze broke the blonde from his trance, the smell was sweet and the faint sounds carried in the wind were merry. The window to his left was partially open, the curtains showed a peaceful flow of air. Jaune walked to the open window and gazed was astounded at what he saw; an entire city filled with humans, Faunus, and Grimm of different kinds, some completely new to him. The colors of almost every building were red and white, somewhat weathered yet kept intact, but the mixture of different forms of people made the scenery all the more amazing. If he could listen correctly, Jaune could hear the many different languages spoken amongst those in the streets. The architecture looked similar to the Hellenistic style of ancient ruins in the Mistral region. To the skies, there were no airships like those of Vale, but rather balloon-like airships and large flying Grimm flying peacefully over the city.

"Welcome to Florentiae; the capital city of the Kingdom of Sera." Cerus stated proudly, a loud bellow from the east brought Jaune's attention to a group of massive beasts resembling the Goliath, but with four tusks; two small and two long curved tusks. A carriage was placed on its back, either for travelers or to transport supplies, perhaps both. They stood twice the height compared to that of the Goliath, and the same banner the winged Grimm that assaulted Vale had was embedded on a crescent ornament atop their heads.

"Mamuts; cousins of the Goliaths and Mamadons, but native only to Sera. Think they're frightening from this distance, imagine fighting one up close?" Cerus explained as he stood beside his nephew by the window. Jaune was too astonished to say a thing; he never expected to see anything that size in Sera, much less a city this bustling. "Come, I want to show you something. But first..." Cerus gestured to a closet by the bed. "Get dressed, and don't pick anything too flashy." With that, Jaune was again left alone. When his uncle told him of Sera, he never expected to see it so diverse. He expected to see Grimm, but there were some even he didn't know existed. And the Mamuts, possibly the biggest land Grimm he's seen in his life, luck was definitely on his side knowing they were harmless...for now at least. Jaune was about to walk over to the closet, but was more drawn to the armor below the portrait. He took one last glance towards the city, streets filled with life of every kind, smiles were abundant. The technology was far below that of the other kingdoms, hell it might as well be ancient compared to Atlas. And yet, the people seemed content with their lives. The closest they had to the term scrolls was a rolled up piece of parchment from what he could see. Rather than vehicles for transports, the Grimm were used to make ends meet. For long distance travel, the Mamuts seemed to be the main form of getting across the continent quickly. More surprising was the light armor on the beast's legs and head, as if these overgrown Goliaths needed much protection, just seeing them for the first time and from a great distance gave the blonde a mild heart attack.

In either case, Jaune was no longer in Vale, and he was no longer a student of Beacon. Now, he is a king, and from now on he needed to live on, for Mishka. But why? Without his friends, and the knowledge that he couldn't hold back his emotions, how exactly was he supposed to lead? He could feel Kat's despair, she was still recovering from that eventful day, yet one thing ceased to fade; the voices. Jaune could hear their whispers, memories of all he devoured speaking at once. He could see them, the faces of every single Hunter, soldier and civilian he devoured in his state of rampancy. Their screams and cries, even now, drowned his hearing. His uncle was right; the Oni are the very definition of sin, the sin of wrath. And by saving a little girl and her mother, was that supposed to be atonement? No, there is no forgiveness for his actions; the world was now on its knees. The solution came in the form of the Schnee, the man who promised safety and security if they only offered their absolute silence, and obedience. Remnant is in a state of total war all because of the blonde Oni.

Jaune dressed himself in the only armor set in the room, just as he predicted; a perfect fit. Especially the purple tunic, oddly fitting with the black armor, thought the skirt was questionable. There was of course one thing left to do, Jaune found a small desk, and with luck, a comb within. He combed his hair back, exposing his forehead and allowing light to reflect off the surface of his ocean blue eyes. His hair grew more than a bit, it now reached his shoulders. Either he was out cold for a while, or this was some effect to unlocking his true form. Other than the hair growth and added muscle, it wasn't much of a difference, but a change was needed nonetheless. As he exited his room, he was met with both Emerald and Cerus, both dressed in the same armor, and somewhat surprised to see the blonde. Emerald was poorly hiding the urge to laugh, Cerus on the other hand smiled widely. "I see you fancy your mother's armor." The blonde was caught completely by surprise, and of course by now Emerald was laughing loudly. "Good to see some things don't change!" She hollered while patting the blonde's back. To think he was cross dressing again, and not intentionally this time either. Still, the pulled back hair, accompanied by the violet tunic, black chest plate, greaves, and...a skirt. Not to say it wasn't standard, both Cerus and Emerald wore similar clothing, but on the blonde, he almost looked completely feminine.

"Alright, enough games. Come Jaune, you must address the guards today." Cerus couldn't shake the wide grin on his face, and Emerald was just the same the whole way down to what seemed like a courtyard. As they exited the palace, the blonde was met with a small company of soldiers dressed in a similar manner to him, though this armored battalion held long rectangular shields with their swords visibly sheathed. The shield was painted white, thinly outlined black, the insignia on the front was two crescent moons rotated on a counter-clockwise 45 degree angle, and with a flower in the shape of a butterfly coated black at the mouth of the second crescent. The same emblem on a two banners hung above the doors to the palace entrance.

Upon seeing the feminine looking blonde, the men couldn't help but shoot a playful whistle at him. Some of the female soldiers eyed him as if he were candy. In this case scenario, he was 'fresh meat'. A few notable whispers could be picked up, though what Jaune failed to notice were the markings on his armor's chest plate and pauldron labeling him as a high ranking officer. The whispers amongst the female body were _'thank the gods, a female commander.'_ And while the men were a bit more subtle, their whispers were still heard _'finally, a leader I want to get behind.' _Crumbling Jaune's self-esteem even more, leaving Cerus the privilege to set them straight. "Attention, all of you here. Today, Oum smiles down on us all for it is my honor to present to you all; Alaric Arktos, son of Volker Arktos and Cornelia Honoratus, our king."

Hearing the declaration, the soldiers quickly paled and kneeled before Jaune with their heads bowed low. Now this wasn't what he expected, and it wasn't what he wanted either. Bowing implied he was better than these soldiers, and Monty knows, even as an Oni, Jaune wasn't any higher of a being than them. A minute passed, and the soldiers remained on their knees, almost as if waiting for something.

"Say something, moron." Emerald whispered while nudging his side.

"R-Rise!" Jaune almost shouted nervously, as if on cue the guards rose in unison. And now, the blonde was without words. Again, Emerald nudged him. He cleared his throat and spoke aloud.

"Hear me now..."

"Praetorian Guards." The green haired girl whispered.

"Aye, Praetorian Guards…I am the son of the late King and Queen, and as the new ruler…to be honest, I don't know what to say at this point…actually, I have but one request from all of you; I ask you not to refer to me as King."

A collection of confused expressions made its way amongst the group of soldiers.

"Or his majesty...or your highness, sir, my lord. Basically, no honorifics that refer to my title. I ask instead that you call me by the name I was raised with; Jaune. I was appointed to this position; I have not earned my title. Nor do I feel that I will be an effective leader just yet, but I will do what is necessary for the good of this kingdom. With what little power I have, I will order this; may my official name be Alaric Arktos, but the guards of the palace will refer to me as Jaune. And that name will stay within the walls of the palace, clear?"

"Crystal, sir!...I mean, Jaune!" Wow, perfect unison even when nervous.

"Uncle, I think I will walk amongst the people in the city. I'm curious as to what Florentiae has to offer." Jaune commented while glancing to the bustling city.

"Very well, but I advise you to choose two Praetorian guards as your escorts." Cerus's words almost sounded like an order than a suggestion. To have people tailing him wasn't exactly what he had in mind. Nonetheless, Jaune gazed unto the collection of armored guards. There was one easy way to decided; he sent an invisible aura ping and found two perfect candidates. "You." Jaune pointed to a boy around his age, light tan skin, dark brown hair, chestnut eyes and just slightly more masculine than him. "...and you." His finger now landed on a girl just a bit shorter than the last, with dark skin and short raven hair, amber eyes and a slim figure. Both stood forward, ahead of the company. "I'll take them."

It was hard to figure out why Jaune would choose two guards with aura levels such as theirs, but then again it was hard to believe they were Praetorian guards after reading their auras. Still, Cerus wasn't about to question his nephew's demands, with a simple nod, the two young guards stood closer with great pride.

Cerus gestured the rest to report back to their posts, they all gave their King a respectful bow and left. The two young guards Jaune selected remained. The young blonde took a close look at these two, examining them both by their power levels and their physical standing. All the while his expression was anything but friendly. It actually frightened his escort detail. After a minute, his grimm expression faded almost instantly and was replaced with a calming smile. He could feel their aura relaxing with his shifting expression. "Well, you know my name, may I know yours?"

This kind of King was not at all what these young guards were expecting, but found it comforting nonetheless. The female guard went first, "M-my name is Wadjet, daughter of Philo."

Next was the male guard, "My name is Marcus Ulpia, son of Maximus Ulpia." Both announced the names of their fathers with a sense pride, though it was unnecessary. On the other hand, it did give Jaune more information on his detail. He clasped his hands with a faint smile, "Well, now that pleasantries are out of the way, let us head out. This is my first time in this city and I'm eager to learn more about this kingdom." Just as Jaune was about to search for an exit, Cerus caught hold of his shoulders, though his expression was not as merry as when he appeared with his mother's armor.

"Before you go, there is one more thing I must show you."

Unbeknownst to Jaune, where he was headed would probably bring him to his knees again. Upon leaving the courtyard, Jaune and his uncle walked a great deal in the palace gardens before standing in front of the Royal Mausoleum, within was buried every Royal member of the family, whether Oni, human, Faunus or Grimm. The blonde felt his heart twist, was his uncle about to show him the grave of his parents?

No, it was going to be worse.

Cerus guided the blonde deeper inward within the tomb. As only the royal family is allowed to enter the mausoleum, Marcus and Wadjet waited patiently outside with Emerald, awaiting the return of their King.

Cerus knew what he was about to show Jaune would be salt on the boy's wounds, but it was the best kind of offering of peace he could give. And perhaps, it would give his nephew a slimmer of peace. More so if the guest he had waiting in the medical wing woke up. They stopped in front of a newly engraved tomb, the clean gold plaque read; _here lies Mishka Novgorod, first queen of Alaric Arktos. 995-1012 S.C._ (Seran Calender)

Jaune indeed felt his heart clench, his hand caressed the plaque, knowing full well it was now the closest he would be to his lost love. The tombs were above ground, the coffins made of stone and carved to resemble those entombed within it.

"This was the only way we could bury her here, properly. If anyone should be reprimanded, do so to me." Cerus shut his eyes, awaiting a form of insult of lash from his nephew, but received none. Instead, the expression on the blonde was hardened. "Later. For now, I need to be away from here. I'll return before nightfall...maybe." Jaune left his uncle alone, with neither anger nor gratitude in his heart. But rather the strong urge to leave before his emotions betrayed his calm expression, although it was rather painful, Jaune couldn't help but feel relieved that Mishka received a proper burial, unlike the others amongst the ruins of Vale.

"Your friends might still be alive."

Jaune stopped instantly, was this some lie to bring back his will power, or was Cerus being honest? Cerus continued, knowing full well he was treading on dangerous emotional levels. "Ozpin evacuated the school before the blast, and Laufeia transferred both the student body and your friends outside the city using her shadow portals. It took a great deal of power on her part, and I have not seen her since we pulled out from Vale. The last I saw of your friends; they were all heading back into the city during your rampage. That was 3 days ago. The Tenko influenced the nearby Grimm to form a protective barrier on both land and sea around the city of Vale, only allowing those who are running from the Schnee to pass the Grimm unharmed. Those who choose to leave; the Grimm will not stop them. The city itself is 78% destroyed, oddly, a good portion of the stolen dust within the harbor survived and is still usable; at the very least they have an arsenal to defend themselves. 98% of the Atlesian military stationed there are confirmed dead, 30% of the civilian population was lost, a majority was slain by Atlesian soldiers in an attempt to frame you for the crime. And as of noon 2 days prior, the Schnee armies declared war on the world, their coup de 'tats were more successful in other major cities."

The good news was mixed in with the bad, leaving the blonde with the exact number of lost lives from his outburst. All the more of a reminder of what he failed to control, and how wrong it was to make him king. Still, the chance that his friends were still alive gave Jaune renewed hope.

"I suppose Ozpin will take over for now, I'm sure he'll know what to do. He's a better leader than me; I know that for a fact." Jaune commented. Though, when his uncle didn't reply, the blonde took one small glance to the old Oni, and saw the pain in his eyes. It was the same as when he spoke of his wife.

No. Jaune couldn't be responsible for that as well, could he?

"Ozpin was betrayed by Ironwood, he was already gone when I found him. I arranged for him to be buried in his homeland. His family will come to meet with you tomorrow. They wish to see the king that studied under their fallen son."

Both Oni stood silently, the atmosphere between them was dangerously suffocating, even their breaths were cautious whispers. Jaune slowly turned away from his uncle; the deaths of so many people in the wake of a war were on his hands. It should've been expected, but it hurt so much. Jaune was fighting hard not to break down. The whole reason the war began was because he played right into the hands of the old Schnee. To be so easily manipulated began weighing down his conscious. Already, Jaune began to doubt his role as a king, much less a family patriarch. Without another word spoken between them, Jaune left, rushing to the gates with his detail following nervously behind. Emerald stood by the door to the mausoleum, her eyes narrowed upon watching her cousin rush out of the royal courtyard and into the city. It was apparent her father gave Jaune the whole truth of Vale's outcome, in a way, it established a respectable trust. But, if he wasn't heading to the palace, then it meant Cerus kept the 'guests' a secret. Once her old man finally poked his head out of the mausoleum, the two stared at one another for a second before Emerald averted her eyes.

"Is she really buried here?" She asked, slightly annoyed.

"Yes, out of respect to Jaune, I believe it is..."

"No, you old bastard. I meant...her..." Her tone rose slightly, and then to an almost faint whisper.

Cerus hesitated before answering. "...yes. She is, you should visit her." He then walked towards the palace, leaving his daughter in front of the family tomb, where her traitorous mother was buried. Many years after the fact, the woman being buried here was still a major controversy, but at the risk of not sounding hypocritical, traditions were kept and silence was met with no contradiction. She was respectfully buried per Cerus' request. But, it was confusing; from what she was told, her father devoured her mother, so what exactly did they bury? In either case, it was evident enough her father, although betrayed, loves his wife even now. What kind of love is that? Emerald glanced once more to the darkness of the tomb, and then closed the doors. She could barely face her father for more than a few seconds without cringing, what would she do in front of her own mother's tombstone? Would she cry, were there truly any feelings left to express?

"A little sentimental are we?" Came an extremely close whisper followed by a brief cold breeze hitting her exposed neck. Emerald let out a somewhat high pitched help before turning to her guest. Before her was the very definition of awkwardness and disregard of personal space. And even if people gave her a form of backlash, Emerald assumed Laufeia would just brush it aside. "You and I are the same." The sudden statement caught the minty-haired girl off guard, reacting normally as to not test her anger. "How so?"

To which Laufeia was more than happy to answer. "For one, we both hate what we are. Being an Oni has cost you much, hasn't it? Be grateful you have at least one parent left."

"I don't hate my species, that is to say I'm not particularly fond of our history, but I am proud of what I am." Emerald declared, receiving a questionable, blank expression from Laufeia that almost made her blood run cold. "Don't lie to me, the only reason you're here is because there are others like you that will accept you. But has it ever occurred that maybe they do so because you are family, and it is their 'duty' to preserve the Oni?" Laufeia circled the armored girl, all the while smiling deviously. "Think about it, no matter how many times you say you detest your father, or how much the lineage of our family disgusts you, you're still here. It's because there's no place in this world for you, except here. But, isn't it time the Oni fade from history, like the Trinities? Even the very person you wanted to save rejected you."

Emerald cringed, she knew exactly who she spoke of, but rather than fall into her trap, instead took a moment to think it through. She smirked, stopping Laufeia in her tracks. It was clear now what this talk was about, and she knew something about this Oni that was even enough to make her thankful that Cerus was her father. But on the same note, Emerald knew damn well how it would end. "There are two things different from us." She stated.

"Is that so? And what might that be?" Laufeia asked, smiling widely. Though, she won't be for long.

"You're trying to earn Jaune's affection, but I think I'm doing a much better job than you, and I'm not even trying." Her comment made the playful grin on the girl before her vanish completely. Emerald then pointed to the ribbon adorned on Laufeia's head. "And, my father never sealed me away. He actually loves me." Those last words almost felt like she was drowning in poison, if only she was so lucky.

Almost instantly, Laufeia's blank expression turned hostile. Emerald barely had time to react as the young Oni lunged at her, tackling her unto the courtyard ground. She wasn't using her powers, more her physical strength than anything. The blonde Oni used one hand to grip Emerald's tunic, and the other to punch her endlessly in the face. All the while repeating "Take it back! TACK IT BACK! YOU. KNOW. NOTHING!" She shouted, her next punch was now infused with shreds of darkness, and when landed, created a massive crater beneath them. The palace guards arrived to see a cloud of smoke covering a majority of the courtyard, and only one figure standing above it all. The young Oni breathing heavily as that single punch was delivered with more power than she had used before, in this point her anger finally calmed, though with it went her will to fight.

"You're pathetic."

Laufeia's pupils dilated as an arm caught hold of her neck, arising from the dust was Emerald in her true form; long minty-green hair, twice the size she was before but still as slender, two long horns on her head above her ears, skin as darks as a Grimm's hide, same colored eyes, scleras dark as night, and two arms beneath her usual pair. Her praetorian armor broke off and was replaced with exoskeletal plating. It was mainly focused on her back with a pincer to accompany the adornment. Although, there was some exoskeleton armor covering her more private sections, her front half was nearly exposed. "You may refuse our kind, but rejecting your history will make you blind to the future. What you have is but a thin shell, and when it breaks what will you do? This is the true form of our people. Accept it, or take your own advice and leave!" Emerald gestured to her body, Laufeia was busy trying to pry herself from her cousin's grip. Though each struggle made the grip tighten. "Even from birth, your fate is already sealed. But, you'd know more about that, wouldn't you?" the green-haired Oni continued her taunting while the blonde Oni's breaths were shortening.

In a failsafe response, Laufeia used a portion of Emerald's shadow to form a spear, the tip aiming towards the girls back. The spear pierced her armor with little resistance, and was enough to distract the green-haired Oni. A fatal mistake, as with the eased pressure on her neck, the young Oni used the distraction to draw a large quantity of aura for her favorite ability. She enveloped her hands in dark energy and placed them on Emerald's arm. Within a second the dark energy soon outlined all of the green-haired Oni.

"Release me." Laufeia demanded calmly. Reluctantly, Emerald's body obeyed. Unwillingly, the young Oni was freed, and her opponent was now under her command. "Good, now take your blades." Again, Emerald couldn't control her body as her hands griped the handle of her blades. Laufeia's face was now directly in front of Emerald's, an eerie grin was but an innocent smile compared to the young Oni's current expression. With only the ability to move her eyes, Emerald glanced down and saw the Oni being balanced on an arch made from...her shadow? While only catching a glimpse of power in Vale, it was amazing to see her use so little aura for her abilities. "Now, very slowly, run it through your neck." Her command sent shivers down the line of soldiers watching, more so how easily she demanded the death of a family member. Her body showed little resistance, but the power Laufeia was using was well above Emerald's. What she lacked in physical strength, she more than made up for it in aura. Though, as the tip of the blade was to pierce her skin, a white spear literally came between them, once hitting the ground it burst, and for a split moment, it blinded everyone with pure light. The result; Laufeia's shadows were cut from Emerald's, freeing her.

Once the light finally settled, the young Oni's eyes darted to the cause of the interruption. What she saw was more of an annoyance than shock. Emerald's savior floated above her with four angelic-like wings on her back, and a pure light outlining her body. Her platinum hair and violet eyes were perhaps her most outstanding features, given that they reminded Laufeia of the Tenko. The blonde Oni dared not make a move without first assessing the new threat thoroughly, all the while Emerald was regaining her stance, only now she reverted back to her human form. Torn remains of her tunic covered what little of her skin it could.

"Thanks kid." She noted while regaining a battle stance, yet a hand gripped her shoulder from behind. She turned to see Jaune with his guards, along with Nikolai and the Tenko. All of them somewhat relieved they arrived before both fighters got the chance to continue. "Stand down, Emmy." He commanded calmly, while ignoring her annoyed glare. His attention reverted to Laufeia, whom stood alone against this sudden reinforcement. Her lips pursed for a moment before returning to her usual grin. A tentacle arose from the shadows allowing her to sit calmly on it and wait whatever backlash he had. All the while secretly dreading what he would say.

"Why don't we just leave it at that, there's no point in continuing this fight. From what I heard you instigated this Lulu, and on that matter, Emmy only added fuel to the fire." He spoke as if he was their older brother, rather than their King. Giving them nicknames was bad enough, but coming down on them as if they were children in front of the Royal guards was indeed an embarrassing moment for Emerald, more so with her being one of the Guard Captains. Though, for Laufeia, she somewhat enjoyed her new nickname, and was breathing somewhat easier. Emerald turned her gaze away, all the while trying to hide an embarrassed blush. The young Oni on the other hand merely grinned somewhat innocently, scratching the back of her head carelessly. "Get patched up and make up." Just as Emerald was about to object, a finger was placed to lips. "That's an order." Jaune then left again, though before leaving, he patted the young child that intervened. "Well done." The small one's wings had dispersed after her intervention was successful, although, she was questioning the reason behind such a deathly fight between family members.

The blonde patriarch made his way again towards the city, his detail not far behind. Nikolai assisted his niece out of the crater and towards the medical wing in the palace. The guards went back to their posts, while the Tenko was left alone with the last line of her deceased younger sister. In a way, Laufeia is just like her grandmother, but is perhaps a bit more playful. And not in the best of ways. "Making enemies are you? And with our own family? This isn't what we agreed on when I lifted your seal. You do realize what the terms of your freedom are, do you not? The few words it will take to end your contract?"

Laufeia's smile ceased to fade, though in her head, she inwardly feared the words that would send her back to the catacombs underground. In mere minutes, any wounds she had were instantly healed. "I know, Nonna."

"Do you? Then do you trust Jaune enough to tell him about you? Your past, your fath-"

The Tenko's words were cut short as if by the mere uttering of her words; Laufeia was a mere inch away from her face. "That remains with us. Which reminds me; how did tall, dark and minty know about my past?" The Tenko had no words as to how her granddaughter knew about Laufeia's past, but now was more convinced that the young Oni had to earn the trust of Jaune. "I do not know, but if she knows, the chances of Alaric discovering your sin have risen. Laufeia, I'm sure Jaune will..." However, by the time she glanced to her granddaughter, the young Oni had already disappeared. She kept refusing to talk of her past, let alone allow anyone else to speak of it in her presence. But now she had to make a decision; trust her patriarch, whom probably sees her more as a threat than an ally after her light skirmish with Emerald, or risk being sent back to the dark catacombs of Florentiae. Then again, why give her a nickname? It was apparent he gave nicknames to people close to him, so did it mean he trusted her? Or was it because he was grateful to her for saving his friends? In either case she made sure to keep a close eye on the fellow blonde, because in truth, Emerald was right; Laufeia did want Jaune to accept her, not just to keep her contract intact, but also for a personal reason. Still, she was reluctant to reconcile with Emerald. Mainly due to her own pride.

Jaune on the other hand was having a somewhat awkward walk in the city. Aside from having the young child, whom identified herself as Meiling, and his detail pointing out a few landmarks and sights to visit, the whispers of nearby onlookers were more than enough to completely shatter his ego. Just as the guards made the simple mistake, the countless passerby whom took a glance at him had the same conversation with their company; she is so beautiful. He just couldn't understand it, he didn't have makeup, and he certainly had no cleavage...although to be honest some people do enjoy a more petite appearance. There was a small scar on his neck, not garish, but enough to draw attention. He was slightly muscular, though having the armor he did, and the style of his hair, the misunderstanding was somewhat expected. He could feel the playful smirks from his company, both were trying their best not to point it out. And many onlookers said nothing as to respect the Royal guards, especially a high ranking officer. Finally, after a few minutes into their walk, they found the marketplace. The sight was something to behold; countless stores offering different spices and clothing to their right and to the left were weaponry and commodities of all kind. Clothing styles, languages, books, food, and even different Grimm that flourished in their respectful regions were amongst the crowds. Jaune watched a Taurus pull a wagon filled with barrels to what looked like a tavern, possible hauling ale. This kind of interaction was unlike those of Vale; these were tame, still dangerous but seemed content with their labor. All sorts of culture from the eight provinces of the kingdom were gathered here in the capital city. Jaune could now see why his uncle spoke so highly of it; true peace was here, a community in which the three species lived together without the need to constantly fight. It was also noted that the blonde saw a few armored Grimm alongside a few guards at certain corners of the city streets. The security detail as one would put it.

After a long sightseeing, the four decided to rest by the city ports. The merchant ships were made of wood, and they seemed to go about by the winds in their sails. Slow, but peaceful to watch nonetheless. More so when some aquatic Grimm could be seen assisting in menial tasks. What made their little venture awkward were the guards they passed saluting him, not because of his nobility, but the ranking on his chest plate. Jaune was more or less happy to no longer worry about the Schnee overlooking his every move. But then, what became of his friends, knowing them, there was no way they would stay in the city. They'd go out and fight the Schnee army head on, and by Oum, Jaune wanted to gather every single soldier he had under his command and send them in as support, but after seeing their technology there was no way the Seran army would last in the fight. Even then, there was the civil conflict with one of this kingdom's provinces. And there it was; one of the first tasks Jaune would need to deal with as King of Sera: the Zheng unrest.

While Jaune glanced to the moving ships, Marcus walked off to search for lunch, leaving Wadjet and Meiling with the young king. Both of who were extremely nervous, but for their own reasons. Wadjet was still trying to figure out why she was chosen as his security detail, especially when she had little to no practice with her semblance. Still, it's something to brag about, especially to her family whom could barely believe she was a praetorian guard to begin with. Although, this King was not exactly what she expected, what she pictured was a rush-to-judgment, eager, and emotional...basically a reflection of Cerus. Instead, the boy was somewhat moody, calm, and irritated by honorifics. Not exactly what one would call a noble, but he was new to this kind of environment, or so she heard.

While watching another merchant ship sail away and another ship dock in the empty lot, Jaune's mind began sinking back to the memories of the days before being forced to leave Vale. His heart ached when his mind played images of Mishka and Vesta, both with their usual smiles. So much so, he almost broke down had a small tug from the hands of a young child no broken his thoughts. He glanced down to see the girl known as Meiling gleaming at him. In a way, Jaune was glad she appeared; her attack did cause enough of a distraction to break the nearly fatal match between Emerald and Laufeia. Thinking back on it, he wondered why a child as young as her was nearby the courtyard today.

"Are you the one Uncle Cerus told me about?"

Uncle? Wait, does that mean? Is this child an Oni?

"Are you the kin-" almost instantly, Jaune stopped her before she revealed who he was in public.

"Yes, but let's keep that between us. Okay?" He asked somewhat nervously. Meiling thought about it before nodding. If he was hiding the fact that he was the king, then he must think as she did; not wanting to be bestowed with a role that demanded too much. Just like the guards, the young Oni was stunned with the first impression of her king. When she heard her uncle Cerus was watching over him for over twelve years, and given the former king's history, she assumed Jaune would be almost a mirror image of him. What many didn't understand was that he didn't train under Cerus, nor did the two have a pleasant history, but there was a respectful trust amongst them. Meiling couldn't help but ask about the outside world, living her whole life in the Kievan province, a land filled with mountains and blistering winters year-round, Florentiae's lush green and warm summers gave her an immense curiosity about the rest of the world. If she knew the whole truth of the wars, blood soaked lands, and unfounded hatred amongst the species in the rest of Remnant no doubt it would kill her childlike curiosity. So instead, Jaune told her of the other kingdoms, their technological advances, and many other peaceful cultural differences that set them apart from the ones in Sera. When taking a glance to his guards, Marcus had returned and was sitting with Wadjet while listening to their king speak of life outside their fortified borders. Their expressions matched Meiling's, and it was then that Jaune remembered from the book Cerus gave him; Serans, unless given special permission by both the Tenko and King/Queen, may not leave the kingdom. And to ensure this law is enforced, Raptor Grimms guard the coastlines, and Leviathans cover a vast majority of the surrounding sea. As for the skies, either the Locusts or Nevermore scout the coast with their riders. In the millennia since the founding of the kingdom, there were only a handful of unexpected visits from the outside world, all ending with the complete extermination of the visiting party. It explained why they were so curious with the subject. Another fun fact of the established laws was to execute any and all outsiders that managed to sneak past the first lines of defense. If by any chance such intruders pass the Leviathans and Raptors the next defense force is the royal guard, the personal military faction of his/her majesty. The Praetorian Guards were the royal forces of Romana. One hundred elite soldiers from each province all bred and trained to fight and lay down their lives for their ruler and homeland. Eight hundred royal forces in total, yet with the unrest in Zheng, the guards were down by a hundred. By Jaune's memory, the eight provinces are; Romana, Cairo, Germani, Sendai, Galicia, Kievan, Zheng, and Persis. The last four were mainly provinces of agricultural and rural lifestyle. Romana and Germani were competitive provinces of military production, mainly ground forces. Sendai is actually a collection of islands just off the southern coast of the Zheng province, but is known mainly for its naval forces. Cairo bred the famous Mamuts, and its people are innovators in both commodities and weaponry. Every province was known for many unique elements within its societies, however, like any changing culture; there are some whom are quick to disagree with the old laws. Zheng was not one of those 'quick-to-change' societies. The people in this land enjoyed the laws set forth by their ancestors; it provided peace, security, and unison amongst the provinces. And while there were civil conflicts amongst them, none were so costly as the civil war in Zheng when even now lives are still being taken by rebels refusing to submit to the kingdom. All of this was written so bluntly, the number of casualties from a single siege alone left no reason for celebration. In truth, Jaune wanted no part in ruling Sera, but this was his birth home, where his bloodline escaped the persecution of the ancient humans. There was no place for him in Vale, or any of the kingdoms. None would welcome a monster that caused such destruction; they would fear him, and without a second thought, they would end his life. Lost in his own train of thoughts, the blonde was brought back to reality yet again by a tug of his tunic from Meiling. Battles aside, Jaune decided, if just for now, to make sure this kingdom avoided any form of war until at the very least everyone agreed to take arms.

Emerald had left the recovery wing and took a momentary stroll through the palace gardens. She couldn't believe she was scolded in such a manner and by her king no less. Either way, she was glad it wasn't her old man, she would've decked him pretty hard. As she walked beneath the countless trees, she stopped by the pond in the middle of the garden. There stood Laufeia, her smile was replaced with a blank stare, giving Emerald a cautious feeling to grip her blades. But then it hit her, she was forced to surrender her dual blades to her uncle. Laufeia's blank stare became a small glare. She walked towards the minty-haired girl; all the while each step stiffened the tension between them. "I have but two requests, both of which are nonnegotiable."

Emerald stayed quiet, accepting to listen was her best chance to stay alive at this point. Laufeia continued "I don't care what it is you think you know, but you will not share it with anyone, especially Jaune." When mentioning her patriarch, her words almost fell into a begging tone, and it didn't go unnoticed. The young Oni waited for a response, to which Emerald reluctantly nodded.

"And second..." It was at this moment Laufeia swallowed an immense amount of her pride. "I...I need your help with Jaune."

"You know, not that there are a lot of incest restrict...actually, there really aren't any restrictions on incest for Oni, but what is it about Jaune that catches your interest?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but I made a contract with nonna to protect Jaune with my life. And I can't perform my duties if he doesn't enjoy my presence."

"Yea, I'm not feeling a lovey dovey vibe between us either." Emerald remarked

"Noted. So, will you help me?" her question felt more like a dare to reject.

Before Emerald could respond, a small figure emerged from the nearby thickets and charged at Laufeia with a dagger in hand. With relatively little ease, a shadow tentacle picked up the charging assassin by his left leg and threw him in the pond. It was done with so little reaction that it almost seemed like second nature. Both girls glanced to the emerging assassin. Emerald being the only one to face palm upon recognizing the attacker's identity.

"Tai!" Came a shout from within the thickets, Tai emerged from the pond, dripping wet. From the thickets came his twin; Kai.

"What are you two doing?" Emerald asked her siblings while the young one pulled the other out of the pond.

Kai kept quiet and twiddled her thumbs nervously. Tai on the other hand kept a harsh glare on Laufeia whilst also keeping his silence. The blonde woman wasn't exactly the patient type when it came to people who tried to kill her, regardless of them being children. Still, it didn't mean she'd punish him too harshly. A tentacle arose from her shadow and retrieved a bamboo stick from one side of the garden, and with incredible speed, ran the stick into the boy's tunic sleeves and literally hung him between two trees.

"H-hey! Put me down!" He shouted, struggling to free himself. It was kind of adorable in a way.

"But you're wet, this way we'll dry both your cloths and you." Laufeia stated matter-of-factly.

After trying to get himself down, to no avail, Tai had tears growing near the corner of his eyes while turning to his older sister. "Big sis, please help."

Almost if a sadistic spark was lit in the cove that is Emerald's heart, the girl glanced to Laufeia whom was thinking the exact same thing; they were going to play this out. Though just as their fun was to begin, a small tentacle arose from Laufeia's shadow. The thing actually made an eerie cooing noise. The blonde Oni reacted as if she understood. It was both fascinating, and scary in equal measure.

"Is that so?" She quickly dispersed the tentacle and gave a playful smirk to her company. "It would seem our little game will need to be continued some other time. There is someone arriving at the gates in a little while. Shall we go meet him?"

"Yes we should." Emerald answered quickly, picking up her little sibling and rushing with the blonde to the gates.

"Wait!" The halting shout came from the boy still hung between two trees. "I wanna go too. Take me with you!"

"Why? You're still wet." Both older Oni answered before walking off, leaving Tai to continue complaining and shouting for help, unaware of the barrier set up by Laufeia prior.

With the sun setting, returning home was the king and his company, though on his back was Meiling sleeping soundly. The small group was only able to see half of the city, but it was a relaxing stroll nonetheless. As the iron gates closed behind them, Jaune was noticed a tall woman with long braided brown hair, and hazel eyes dressed in a long sleeved Ao Dai in the middle of the courtyard with three Praetorian guards. As soon as the king came into vision with the slumbering small one on his back the group ran to him. The woman's initial worried expression lightened when she saw her little one.

"My king, thank the gods you've found lady Meiling. The guards have combed the entire palace with nary…" the guard addressing him was cut short when Jaune gave the man a small glare for using the honorific he asked to be ignored. "Many pardons…Jaune." With little strength left to argue, the blonde gestured the man to return to his post while the woman took Meiling off of his hands.

"Jaune, was it? I thank you for bringing my daughter home. I am Mei, wife of Nikolai." She bowed respectfully, though not too much as her youngest child was sleeping in her arms. The woman quickly returned to the palace, leaving the blonde and his company in the middle of the courtyard.

Today was a long day, but not even close to over, just as the three were to follow into the palace, a light pair of footsteps drew their attention to Kai, whom was wearing a new black tunic, with a red sash wrapped around her waist. Upon seeing Jaune her face almost instantly gleamed. She ran towards him with open arms, small streams of tears could be seen falling down her cheek. "Big brother!" She shouted upon jumping unto him. Either her momentum was unnaturally strong, or Jaune was getting soft that it led to Kai tackling the blonde boy down very easily. The fall was pretty rough, though as the blonde groaned in pain while arising, he could hear the small one sniffling. "Papa said we almost lost you..." her grip on his tunic tightened, her head refusing to part. Jaune gently patted her head. This child and her twin were in a new place with more family just like them, but with the blonde being the closest thing to an older sibling they had, losing him would've devastated them.

Speaking of siblings, Emerald and Laufeia emerged from the garden entrance. The minty-haired girl gave him a somewhat envy expression, while Laufeia was smiling just as eerie as she usually would.

"So, did you two make nice?" he asked.

"Nope." Both responded

To which Jaune smiled, somewhat expecting the two to not make up. "Yea, I kinda figured… by the way, where's Tai?" his question brought a quick shocked and then calm expression from the two Oni before him, both glanced to each other and then to him.

"...I think he's dry by now." Laufeia replied.

Upon entering the Palace garden, the small group saw what looked like Tai hung by his tunic on a bamboo pole which itself was stuck between two trees. The boy seemed to be somewhat sleeping, though upon hearing new footsteps his head rose up. His expression lightened instantly when his eyes saw Jaune.

"Big bro!" He struggled a bit, though it was enough to shake the pole ever so slightly.

"Uh...hey Tai, whatcha doin?" The blonde boy asked, resisting the urge to laugh.

"Oh, you know, just hanging around." Tai half-joked.

When realizing who was the cause of leaving the boy in this state Jaune yet again scolded the two Oni, much to the embarrassment of one and the joy of another. The onlookers merely watched, Marcus and Wadjet were proud to have spent a day with the new king, more so the stories he shared of the outside world. Kai and Tai were just happy their father's teachings of an Oni never returning from rampage were wrong, and their older brother was the one who defied them. Truth be told, those within the family who knew of Jaune's return from his rampage were surprised themselves. Especially the Tenko, there were rumors her own mother once told her of Oni that fell to madness, and actually recovered with their life partners intact. But, they were merely rumors and nothing more.

Afterwards, Jaune roamed the corridors alone. He ordered his security detail to take Tai to the bathhouse to warm him up. While also to escort Emerald and Laufeia to their rooms, though that last request felt more like a death sentence given that minty-haired girl had a deathly aura emitting from her being from this scolding. Laufeia played along until she was able to sneak past these petty guards and wander about the palace on her own accord.

On his aimless stroll around the royal palace, he came to a halt in front of the medical wing. This was mainly used for the soldiers after sparring practice. Given that his both Marcus and Wadjet were relatively weak in aura, if their strength matched, then they would be in here a lot. Especially with the training exercises he had in mind for them. Just as he was to turn away from the door, it opened to reveal his uncle.

"Ah, good timing. I was just about to send for you. Come, there's someone who wants to speak with you." Cerus opened the door and gestured his nephew to enter. However Jaune was reluctant to see anything or anyone presented to him by his uncle. But just as he was going to brush him off, his nose caught a whiff of familiar sweet scent. That same one that brought him joy his first night at Beacon; Jasmine. Hesitantly, the blonde entered the medical wing; the entire room was empty save for one occupied bed. Lying comfortably was a silver-haired woman, staring aimlessly at the ceiling. Without notice, Cerus shut the doors, catching the attention of the girl. Her dark violet eyes turned quickly to her visitor, her body tried to sit up after recognizing her blonde. Her expression was a mixture of fear and sadness, the very thing that the blonde feared coming from her.

Very slowly, Jaune walked to her bedside, and sat on a nearby chair. Both their eyes refused to meet, but it was evident enough that watching Jaune become the monster that destroyed Vale was not an easy subject to tread on, more so that he never trusted her enough with the secret. The two sat in an awkward silence, unable to speak, much less make a movement without feeling awkward. Jaune knew what the law dictated, if it ever got out that Vesta was an outsider, she would be sent for execution, and while she probably hates him to the very core now, he didn't want her to suffer any more than what she went through because of him.

"Your uncle told me everything." Much to his surprise, it was she who uttered the first word, though her tone was small and whisper like. "We grew up together; you were my first real friend. I hate liars, and you promised to never lie to me. Yet you couldn't trust me enough to tell me what you are? Did I really mean so little to you?" her hands gripped the sheets, her emotions fought hard to keep her expression from breaking down.

"I didn't want to involve you in my fight. Besides, I had to protect my family and the last of my people. This is a fight I must walk alo-" before the blonde could finish, he felt a painful sting on his left cheek. Vesta's expression was now more anger than anything.

"That isn't for you to decide alone! We are family! If you thought some stupid excuse like that would change how I felt about you, then how can you consider us friends?! Regardless of race, we're friends...I meant what I said." Her adrenaline died down very quickly, she didn't regret giving him a piece of her mind, or giving him that slap. But he had just found out Mishka's feelings for him were mutual, and that the war in Remnant was all on him. The last thing he needed was someone else he cared about throwing more weight on his chest. Or at the least, she hoped he still cared about her.

"I'm sorry…I…I just didn't want you two getting hurt. I wanted to prove myself to my family, to show them I could take on the mantel my parents once held. But it's too much, I'm the cause of so much sorrow; how can I be anything but a monster after what happened in Vale?" Jaune kept his head lowered, unable to face her upon receiving her anger head-on. His tears were endless streams, unable to hold himself together any longer, all the bottled up emotions came out in this very moment. Vesta herself was also crying uncontrollably, but managed to find the courage to test him; to see if he still cared. She held his head and pressed it against her chest. Jaune was stunned for a moment before returning her embrace but hugging her somewhat tightly.

"You're not a monster…but you are a fool." Vesta whispered whilst she and her blonde shed tears for their fallen friend, for the strong bond they shared, and the blessings Oum bestowed upon them to keep the two from separating all over again.

In a separate recovery room, Cerus made sure the door was heavily guarded, and the room sealed of any leaking aura. There were more survivors from the destruction of Vale; this guest was per Emerald's request. While this woman posed no threat after having her powers sealed, she was still wary in the eyes of the Tenko. The old Oni glanced at the recovering woman, her wounds were just about healed, but she herself was still filled with anger and confusion after being betrayed by her partner and left for dead. All the while her new business partner was actually a creature so powerful he wiped out the Atlesians with little effort. And yet here she awoke to a kingdom, secluded from the other three with a man offering to give her a second chance at life.

"So…" Her glance was now directed to Cerus whom was holding a fresh pair of cloths. "Have you considered my offer, Ms. Falls?"

***Nonna: Grandmother**

**And done! We're in Menagerie, now the plot starts to thicken, and the tests begin to have quick recoil. Thanks for reading, until next chapter! **


	13. Call for Justice, no matter who for

A new day arrives, and life as a monarch is anything but easy. Jaune learned that from the mountain of paper work following the scheduled meetings with generals eager to meet the new king and the task of assigning new council members. While most of his duties were rather easy, a majority were; costs of maintenance for infrastructure and military. Thankfully, Nikolai's wife, Mei, offered to help out with the workload. With the added help, progress on the paper work increased significantly. Signing off on these documents was a task only he could do, and by his own instinct, Jaune wouldn't sign off on any document unless he understood the full extent of its contents. Which in itself would've taken all day if the boy wasn't such a fast reader. To his surprise, many of these documents were applications from military officials and scientists to explore the outside world, all of which of course were denied. Being in a society where the outside world was locked out for almost a millennia, eventually the youth of the society within the locked borders will become curious and question the necessity of continuing to hide. Jaune knew this, and if the current world war wasn't occurring, he'd consider the notion. But recent events have made it clear that if the Schnee discovered Menagerie, with the current technology of this society and it's way of life, it would no doubt fall under a plasma bombardment. So for now, Sera will need to unite again under a common goal, and if they do go against the Schnee, their army will need to be prepared. While it was unfair, the containment policy would remain in effect, but perhaps there could be some changes. Any of which, although, will need to be done through a council, which was recently lost.

After at least three fourths of the paperwork was finished, Jaune took a moment to step out of his office and enjoy what little free time he had. Of course, waiting for him outside was a face that made staying here worthwhile. It came as a shock that Vesta was alive and within Sera's borders. Had Cerus not forged records of her being a citizen, and Mishka's younger sister, no doubt law would dictate immediate execution. Tai and Kai were Oni and royal family members, the law didn't extend to them. Jaune was originally born in Sera so his citizenship was unquestionable. Still, the trio grew up together almost like siblings, so in a way, the forged documents weren't all lies. Jaune and Vesta walked around most of the palace, the blonde still in the armor he wore yesterday. Vesta was given a black silk dress with a red sash to tie around her waist. As the two came to know; black and red clothing, particularly black attire with a red sash worn however the bearer pleases, symbolized the royal family. Black tunics and purple cloaks, or capes, were those of the Praetorian guards. Any other color mixes were common amongst the general populace. Not exactly law, but it was the best manner to identify the Royal family and the elite guards.

Jaune took Vesta to the mausoleum, per her demands, to see their friend's tombstone. Upon seeing the final resting place, the two shared both a moment of silence, and a long mourning. In an instant, their lives had taken yet again another painful turn; again their home burned to the ground, and the loss of a loved one. Only this time, she was gone for good, leaving only memories and an empty shell. But now the lies between them could come to an end. Vesta was initially shocked when she discovered what Jaune truly was, and she was still mad at him for not trusting her enough to share that piece of information. But all in all, life was finally taking a step in a more peaceful direction for them.

The palace itself was grand, sitting in the middle of Florentiae with walls erected around the city to protect the last bastion city that represented the Romana province after the fall of its original capital; Rome. Jaune's only military duties was to direct more guards for trade caravans. Recently, the rebels have been attacking supply lines passing through the province, and even raiding villages from other provinces close to the borders, or so said the reports from the Loyalists. This group, the Loyalists was tasked by the recently deceased council to rid Zheng of any rebel forces remaining. But, from minimal survivor accounts, and very few there were, these Loyalists were anything but reclaimers of the kingdom. Their complete lock down of the province worried many, and for good reasons. Some say they go about killing anyone who defies the 'order', and goes to great lengths to hide their actions. But, it isn't the humans or Faunus that they should only worry about. The Grimm, both small and large see the atrocities and share it with their own. But, there are very few Grimm whose voices are heard without any proof. How would they be heard? All Grimm can speak, mainly in their own language, but there are very few who speak the tongue of humans.

The young king was split on which side to place himself on, the stories could be propaganda to direct people away from kingdom, or they might be true and the current leader of the Loyalists was more of a criminal that the stories led on. Either way, no action could be done without solid evidence. As if the countless dead weren't enough to convince otherwise. But, the blonde didn't want to rush to judgment and cause another civil war without knowing the full story. And yet, another war seemed inevitable as he read the reports, no rebel or Loyalist would come together peacefully anymore, their hatred towards one another was too great. Still, it didn't hurt to try. After his walk with Vesta was over, Jaune made sure to at least aim for a peaceful meeting.

An hour passed, and Mei finally found him, she urged the boy to finish what remained of today's work. Vesta and Jaune shared a few parting words before the blonde left back to his office to finish the tedious duties of a king.

While completing the second to last document his uncle arrived, and in good timing.

"Uncle, may we speak?" Jaune's tone was calm, and almost stoic. Once Cerus nodded, Jaune gestured Mei to leave with the guards by the doorway. Reluctantly, the men obeyed their king and stepped out, Mei following closely behind. Upon closing the door, the two Oni stared at one another in awkward silence before the older spoke.

"So, what's on your mind?" Cerus asked with an awkward smile, unsure of what to expect of his nephew now.

Though, very calmly, Jaune placed down his pen while his expression gave a small glare. "Tell me everything about the problems in Zheng; mainly the causes for the still lingering tensions."

Cerus was skeptical about this; his nephew seemed to want to tackle a two decade long problem. If he made a wrong decision, and in turn that failure brought upon him another list of casualties, Oum knows how Jaune would handle such a disgrace. But, as with any King, decisions must be made and mistakes are inevitable. Cerus took a deep breath before explaining the entire story. "In 989 S.C. the people of Zheng, who were opposed to the colony, claiming that it was endangering the kingdom, began at first an unrest, following a revolt. I called upon every force in my command to put the rebels down, but the people were stubborn, refusing to stand down even when their cities burned. Much of the land remains barren today because of the constant shelling that went on and, to no surprise, continues to this day. Hardly any food grows, and a majority of the lands that do produce are controlled by the Loyalists. At the time, we had barely developed bolt action rifles, and the Zheng rebels were still fighting with swords and bows. Due to the lack of Intel and rebels attacking in common attire, differentiating soldiers from civilians became a widened problem. It was a massacre, and to this day the people of Zheng have not forgotten, nor forgiven the crimes performed. And in all honesty, I do not blame them. Currently, there are still a handful of insurgents remaining, but the only rebel faction that poses a major hindrance to the Loyalists is the Jiangshi. They hold territory north of the province; dense woodlands and marshes prevent the Loyalist and their army from marching over the rebels. Li Wei, General of the Loyalist, was tasked with taking back the province, but recently I've been receiving reports from multiple sources that he's not aiming for unification, but to establish another kingdom out of the conquered territory. I don't know if those under his command fully agree with his plans, but those who reject the Loyalist...both they and their families tend to disappear without a trace. Up until recently, there were only limited areas where factions from other provinces went to provide aid, but the Tenko withdrew everyone after a recent assault on one of our aid posts. The investigation was led by the Loyalists, and their conclusions were; rebels."

Jaune took a moment to take in the information before asking. "Do you think Li Wei had a hand in the attack on the council's caravan?"

Cerus remained silent for a moment, and then answered with doubt in his tone "I don't know. But given what I've heard, it would not be much of a surprise."

It would seem the situation became a bit more complicated, more so the two factions he'd have to bring together, both with the same agenda but for their own reasons. For the moment at least, he'd tackle the problem he knew would perhaps be the easiest in idea, but hard when put into action.

"And what sorts of crimes were committed by our forces?" He asked, his eyes narrowing, daring his uncle to even try to lie. Cerus walked over to a filing cabinet by the door and retrieved a few thick folders. Upon placing them down before Jaune, the heavy thud nearly cracked the desks surface. The blonde retrieved one of the folders and began skimming through them, though his expressions quickly shifted to many forms of shock and disgust. The contents disturbed the blonde to the point that he quickly closed the folder and shielded his eyes from seeing anymore. His expression depicted the need to puke, though he withheld his composure for the time being.

"Everything is there, reports of; mutilation, executions, civilians used as decoys, inhumane torture, intensive interrogations, sexual assaults, murder...and the list goes on. The crimes were reported, and investigated thoroughly, or so I was told. Those accountable stood trial, but none were found guilty under the council." Cerus uttered those last words with a sense of regret, knowing full well those crimes were his fault for starting the war. Jaune took in all the information quietly, not easily, but quietly. It made sense now why the rebels hated the kingdom, and the rumors of the Loyalists breaking off from the kingdom after taking back their whole province had a good reason behind it. In all honesty, he just wanted to give these people their freedom, but by doing so he'd perhaps be sentencing those who reject the Loyalist and rebels to a future of constant fear.

"Guards?" Almost instantly, the two guards stationed outside entered, both stuck for an instant in the doorway before squeezing through.

"Yes, my lord!" They answered in unison.

While it irritated him being called by honorifics, it would take some time for these soldiers to adjust to him before using his name so familiarly. "Seek Marcus and Wadjet, I must speak with them, urgently. And bring my aunt back."

Both soldiers bowed respectfully and rushed outside.

"And this?" Cerus asked skeptically.

"Before I make a decision on how to proceed, I will need to hear the perspective of someone who has seen the war firsthand and fresh opinions of what counts as a justifiable action." Jaune answered, stoic and somewhat angered. His eyes glanced to the left, a window overlooking the courtyard showed the soldiers in their daily training. Meanwhile, Cerus began questioning what exactly his nephew was planning and how the outcomes would affect Sera. Mei entered a within a minute, Wadjet and Marcus entered a good five minutes later. Once the small group was inside and sitting across from their King, the doors were shut.

"Before we begin, I'm going to ask that whatever is spoken here will remain between the five of us."

The four exchanged glances at one another nervously before nodding. Once receiving their acknowledgement, the blonde began. "I want you all to read what you can from the contents of these documents." Jaune gestured to the folders before him; Mei and Wadjet took two random folders and opened them. Marcus glanced to the one his partner was reading; their reactions almost mirrored the blonde's initial response to these documents. Mei however wasn't as fazed, but shut the folder in her hands quickly as to not dwell on memories best left forgotten. Cerus himself felt no urge to reread these files; the pictures were already well imprinted in his mind. Taking only a few more minutes to read most of the files, neither Wadjet nor Marcus could continue reading.

"What madness is this?" Marcus asked his mind unable to comprehend how such things could exist. While the question was directed to Jaune, the blonde gestured his uncle to answer.

"Those are reports from the Zheng war twenty-three years ago. The names of those who committed the crimes are also included in the files, along with witness testimony and detailed descriptions of their actions. However, no one was found guilty; the charges were merely labeled as false accusations regardless of overwhelming evidence." Cerus explained.

The room's atmosphere became unbearably chilly. Jaune cleared his throat, gaining their attention. His mind was set on one thing at the moment, but before rushing to any form of action, he needed opinions. While asking a former king who started the war and two current soldiers defeated the purpose of an unbiased vote, as of now these four were the closest Jaune had to a trustworthy council. Wadjet and Marcus were soldiers, but their auras were extremely low and each had personalities that differed from an average Praetorian. They were soft and more morally driven than their military hard-wired comrades. Mei experienced the war from the civilian point of view, and even Cerus himself expressed regret on how he dealt with the revolt. Adding their wisdom over the years gave more credit to their opinions.

"I've decided not to waste time dealing with the problems in Zheng, starting with the atrocities committed against the people. I plan to send these files to the courts within this city, and have every single individual accused in these files stand a retrial. This time the cases will be public, the graphic images will be filtered of course. These people who will stand a retrial will not be seen as heroes, but war criminals. Regardless of whatever positive contributions these individuals have given since the wars ending, they will answer for their actions. But, I will not act on this without hearing your opinions because as of now I am assigning the four of you as my temporary council. I will not hear any arguments on your new positions, but I want your honest opinions on this issue." Jaune sat back, and waited. Cerus was a bit taken back by his declaration to hound down, more than a thousand mind you, war criminals that may or may not still be alive. Mei herself seemed content with the king's decision; though there was a sense of doubt she wanted to voice out. Wadjet and Marcus saw the moral decision, but even they wondered if going against their own would tarnish their image as Praetorian guards. And for Jaune too, how would the soldiers feel if their King persecuted them? If loyalty meant anything, then these men would have to choose either their comrades or the king.

"Take a day or two to read through the files, they will be here and will remain here. Come into this office if you need more reason for an answer, come to me when you have your decision. We will all meet, and our vote must be unanimous. Should one of us vote against taking these files to court I will drop the matter entirely." Jaune noticed his aunt's mixed expression, he was confused, though more curious than anything. Once the four agreed to their king's sudden request, Jaune sighed, somewhat relieved to have their voices in this. "Aside from Mei, you're all dismissed." The three soldiers rose up, bowed respectfully, and left. Cerus took only a few glances towards the blonde before leaving.

Now with only Jaune and Mei by themselves the blonde wasted no time prying his aunt's fears. "If there's something troubling you, please speak up."

She was hesitant, even if her nephew's sudden plan would jail the men who abused their power. She wanted justice for her people, but there was one problem with this plan if it were put into effect.

"If these documents are exposed, and the men stand trial, other accusations will arise. You're uncle, my husband, can be classified as one of those criminals." Jaune was somewhat shocked by this revelation, though he tried not to show it much. Now he was being tested with a decision that would impact not only his family, but his authority as King. If Nikolai was a criminal, just as Mei claimed, then these accusations would eventually demand his blood. So what kind of choice will he need to make, will it be hypocritical of all that he's trying to do, or would he actually send his uncle to trial for every crime he committed?

"Meiling and her siblings need their father, and she holds you in high regards, Jaune. Please, do not take her father away." Mei's tone neared a begging level.

"Mei..." Jaune assumed this would be easy, but looking back, many of his Praetorians were old enough to have been in the war, and Cerus had a hand in the soldier's actions. Thankfully he had enough intelligence to ask for opinions before jumping straight into his plans. "...we cannot put our personal feelings into this. If he stands trial, it is because he was just as cruel as the individuals in these files."

"I'm not trying to defend those men, but at the time he was..."

"A soldier, I know! But see that's the thing; soldiers have one duty: protecting Sera and her people. The men that killed civilians indiscriminately during the war are not soldiers, murderers and monsters are what they are. They lost the honor of calling themselves Seran soldiers. What would you call a kingdom where its soldiers kill their own people in such hateful ways? And what King would I be if just ignored this? I will not make the same mistake as my uncle; emotions will not dictate my decisions. Not again. A king, who cannot rule himself, has no business ruling the people." Jaune's rant created an awkward silence in the room, more so with the door partially open and a few guards outside listening in. Most were shocked initially that their King would send veterans to trial, but to send even members of his own family. Either their new king was extremely virtuous, or he had no sentiment when seeking justice. In any case, they continued to listen in.

Jaune's words were somewhat of a relief to Mei, Nikolai didn't kill any civilians, but how he fought in the war could count as a crime. With a partial headache, Jaune sat back in his seat and gestured to the door. "I'll finish the paper work, and I'll read Nikolai's file. If I find anything that would exonerate him from standing trial, it will be the first document I deliver to the courts. But I won't make any promises."

Mei, although still worried, nodded and bowed. She left without saying another word to her nephew and was somewhat startled to see soldiers huddled by the door. No doubt they heard, and rumors would start flying across the ranks. An uprising of angered veterans and their kin was the last thing the new king needed, especially when seeking justice for his people. These soldiers, or at least the old ones, were more loyal to their own than the people. Thanks to the Tenko, many of them were forced to retire, but their sons and daughters were now serving. Should the fathers of these soldiers be tried for crimes, there is a chance they will protest. Without saying a word to these guards, she closed the door to further ensure the king's privacy.

Jaune felt his actions would tear this kingdom more apart than how many stood already, but changes needed to be made and examples needed to be set. If his uncles were indeed war criminals, then by law Jaune would need to uphold whatever sentence the courts saw fit. In regards to the Jiangshi and the Loyalists, the blonde had one way of dealing with this. Not exactly conventional, or safe for that matter. Either way, there was little choice on how to deal with this rift between Zheng and Sera. Beforehand though, he'd need Intel on the province's landscapes, and notable landmarks. Being accustomed to just speaking her name and an untraceable appearance, Jaune called for "Lulu." As if on cue, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around Jaune from behind while a seductive whisper filled his ear. "Yes~" with a small blush, the blonde brushed aside this antic, and regained his hardened expression. "I need you to assemble a group with unquestionable loyalty, and the ability to hide as you do in the shadows. Whether they be Faunus, human or Grimm it does not matter to me, I just need them before the end of the week."

"The purpose?"

"I need assassins." Jaune's tone sent chills down Laufeia's spine, something that is extremely hard to do; frighten the princess of shadows.

"Oh, sounds like fun. But what is the reason for this sudden call of anbu?"

"If my plan for peace fails, then we're going to war."

Laufeia's pupils widened, was he truly saying he'd go to war? Her smile widened to frightening levels, the atmosphere around them was almost equal in sense of morality. Before the blonde king could continue speaking, the door opened with a Praetorian entering nervously. "My king, the family of Jagdtiger has arrived to claim his body, and they wish to have an audience with you. They're waiting in the throne room."

Jaune stiffened, his uncle told him of Ozpin's family, but he wasn't sure if he could offer them the condolences when his headmaster's death was partially his fault. The blonde nodded and gestured the guard to wait for him outside. As the room was left to the two Oni, the older blonde turned to the smiling younger blonde. "Find me a good handful; have them meet in the catacombs. Notify me when you're done."

Laufeia nodded and returned to her dwelling in the shadows. The manner in which she manipulated the shadows to act as both a quick traveling space and weapon was amazing. If analyzed thoroughly, perhaps Jaune could add her technique to his collection of semblances. As he stepped out of his office, the king was met with stiff expressions from his personal guards. The blonde glanced to the mixture of faces before clearing his throat, slightly startling the guards.

"Can one of you tell me..." The guards were somewhat trembling, if they were discovered to have been listening on a private conversation of the king, no doubt such an act would be marked as shameful amongst the ranks. "...can one of you show me the way to the throne room. I'm afraid I've gotten lost many times here." The blonde asked, embarrassed of how many times he circled the same halls. Almost instantly, the Praetorians relaxed with heavy sighs.

Taking this gesture as annoyance, Jaune decided to ease the tension around these soldiers. "Ah, is that bad?"

"Uh, n-no my king. I will show you to the throne room." One of the female guards quickly intervened and led the blonde away. While they were glad the blonde didn't bring up their actions, they still questioned whether it was wise to persecute men who, although no longer in service, have large influence in the provinces.

On another note, upon entering the throne room, three newcomers were awaiting them. Two of them looked as if they were the same age as the Tenko, the third was perhaps the same age as the blonde, though unlike her elders who, were dressed in dark green tunics, this child sported black fur pants adorned with steel knee guards. A sarashi and five layer spauldors accompanied by full armor on her left arm, the only part of her body with any form of steel beside her knees. A ridiculously large sword was sheathed on her back, the blade itself was somewhat curved. Her own appearance almost mirrored the headmaster himself; Amber eyes with silver hair, but while her hair was short, it was more styled in the same way Ruby had hers, though somewhat unruly instead of combed. Only the female woman and the armored girl had the same physical traits as Ozpin, but the man was slightly tanned, ebony eyes and crimson hair with noticeable silver streaks. Having spent the bulk of their lives serving the Visigoth chieftain and his son up until the colony incident, and the recent death of said chieftain, the old man and his wife easily recognized Jaune as he entered the room. The girl on the other hand showed slight annoyance, and was not one to be subtle about her feelings.

"So, where's the king?" She asked, approaching Jaune. "We traveled for two days only to have his pets come greet us instead of the coward himself." Her last statement somewhat ticked the blonde off, but not as much as the Praetorians in the room. More so the female guard standing next to her king.

"Insolent child, show some respect for your king!" She shouted. Jaune raised his hand to stop their exchange of words any further, and it worked, for the Praetorian Guard that is. The girl on the other hand continued "We've come to recover another dead family member from the arms of the throne. If he's going to hide out in this palace then you might as well entertain me, beautiful." She pointed to Jaune while gripping the hilt of her blade. The guards in the room acted quickly and drew their swords, the female guard stood in front of Jaune with her sword drawn. All the while the blonde kept wondering if he was indeed a man or woman seeing as how everyone kept making the mistake that he was a woman. The armor couldn't be the problem…or was it?

"How dare you, first you insult his majesty, and then you have the audacity to threaten him?! Oum have mercy on you when I'm done with-" Jaune immediately cut her off, this was getting out of hand quickly and all for a simple misunderstanding. This was one reason he hated royalty; a single insult was enough to rattle the guards. But then, perhaps the loyalty of these soldiers was out of pride. Either way, the blonde was going to put an end to this,

"You have quite the mouth, not like Jagdtiger." Jaune commented. "He was an excellent teacher, and a good friend. In fact, if it wasn't for him and my uncle, I wouldn't have made the decision to ascend to the throne." His last statement made the girl instantly pale. "He was the first to tell me of my origins, and someone who I trusted with my life. I only wish I could've brought him back. For that, I, Alaric Arktos, am deeply sorry."

The girl quickly got on her knees and lowered her head; the other two did the same. The old man recognized how the situation would unfold with the girl's stupidity, and quickly acted on it. "My king, I beg of you, forgive my granddaughter, she is stricken with the loss of her father and is brash with her decisions. I ask that you take pity on her." The old man's words were both strict and near begging.

"It's fine, she isn't the first to insult me, nor will she be the last. Besides, I know the pain of losing a parent..." After a moment, the gears finally clicked, and the old man's words revealed a truth the blonde was not expecting. "...W-Wait, 'f-f-father?'" The blond took a second look at the girl, her traits were similar to Ozpin, but for the most part he assumed they were cousins, or at the very least siblings. Yet to think Ozpin actually had a...did he know about her, or was she a secret kept from him? Was she a citizen or was she born outside the kingdom? Oh the questions that circled the blonde king's head we're spinning in such a nauseous speed.

The girl on the other hand raised her head slowly, her rash decisions and threat brought shame to her line. Though her attitude remained the same, even knowing she made a mistake her face showed no sign of regret. As per tradition, she awaited punishment. The blonde knew full well about Visigoth traditions, Ozpin being the one who told him of the tribe and their ways.

"As a king, a threat can be seen as an act of treason. And the last I read in the scrolls of Seran law, treason is punishable by death." Jaune's words were cold, and somewhat serious. The whole room was filled with a frightful atmosphere with Laufeia eyeing them from a corner, awaiting the sentence of the girl.

"But, I think an apology will suffice."

His response to a threat against him was overwhelming concerning, though given the fact that the girl was the daughter of the king's teacher, the soldiers decided to keep their comments to themselves. The girl on the other hand was more than unwilling to ask for pardon, though to honor her father and grandparents, she uttered with dripping venom. "I-I-I'm sorry."

Jaune responded with a faint smile, furthering pissing her off. It would seem that the two shared one thing in this whole ordeal; they hated royalty and their perks. The rest of this visit went as expected; the family mourned the loss of their own, and thanked the blonde for bringing his body back to be buried properly in his homeland. Though, the girl's attitude ceased to change the entire visit, her expression and gestures implicated a need to challenge Jaune's position as ruler of the kingdom. And she wasn't subtle either, the guards around her were ticked that their King would allow a stranger to insult him so casually, thankfully Jaune's patience was enduring these insults well enough. Along the way, Cerus and the Tenko emerged from the medical wing, both of whom were surprised to see Ozpin's parents, much less the child next to Jaune. It was apparent that neither of them knew of this girl either, so she was perhaps a secret kept within the family. While the small group reminisced, the king decided to step out on this, the girl following closely behind. Without her grandparents to make idle conversation, there was an awkward silence between the two of them. Feeling the need to end any bitter resentment the two had towards one another, the blonde spoke up first. "Care to share your name? It would be better if I knew how to address you."

The girl stopped, her glare eased, though her aura was still edging to dangerous. "My name is Jagdwolf." She stated.

Jaune offered his hand. "You know my birth name, but I prefer being called Jaune."

"Jaune?" Jagdwolf asked, somewhat puzzled by this second name.

"It was my name before I became king, and to be quite honest I'd prefer my old life than playing this façade."

Jagdwolf faintly sighed, and shook her king's hand. "I guess that makes two of us."

Now it was Jaune who seemed confused by her words, though before he could ask Jagdwolf spoke first. "I must ask you, is it true; you were raised outside of Sera, your wife and her sister, all from the outside?" Her attitude seemed to have subsided, now was a hopeful curiosity. What was currently occupying Jaune's thoughts was how she unconverted that information so quickly and easily. Still, he wondered if telling this girl about Vesta or his time outside of the kingdom's borders was a good idea, she was the daughter of Ozpin and...Oum knows who else, but the fact remains that if she has any honor towards her father, she wouldn't betray the crown...at least he hoped she wouldn't. Seeing as the two were currently in public with prying ears, the blonde king gestured to return to the palace. Reluctantly, Jagdwolf agreed, the two decided to further their conversation in the king's room. For one, no guards were in there so he had his privacy, and if any harm came close to him Laufeia was somehow always nearby. Once the blonde closed the doors, the sharing of information began like any between strangers; an equal trade.

"Here's how things will go, you tell me what you know of...my wife and her sister, specifically how you got the information. In return, anything about your father that you wish to know I'll do my best to answer." Jaune offered, though the response to his deal was a small snicker, and then a small laughter from Jagdwolf.

"When it comes to my father and my mother, I know more than you do, and even then trading information for more information isn't how we Visigoths go about. If you want to know what I know, first you must best me traditionally." Jagdwolf stated, leaving the blonde with the assumption that he yet again had to fight, not to say he didn't enjoy a good spar, but at the moment he and Kat weren't on speaking terms. Most of his power was drawn from her so going into battle without his partner active would surely end badly for him. "Ok, what is the traditional challenge?" His question left a large grin on the girl.

By night time, in the castle barracks, two extremely large mugs were placed between Jaune and Jagdwolf. "Two large tankards of Teuton; our finest mead from Germani. Try not to overdo it you two." The barmaid advised while stepping aside to see the events unfold. Off duty guards arrived to see if their King could out drink this Visigoth. Bets were already starting to take place, most of the money, although not admitted outwardly, was placed on the white-haired girl. The king didn't look like he would last long, especially against this kind of brew. Jagdwolf was grinning widely whilst Jaune merely returned a nervousness smile.

"Don't forget our deal." The white-haired girl warned as her right hand gripped the handle of her mug. Jaune responded with a simple nod and gripped his mug too.

"Begin."

The chanting began, and Jagdwolf had already begun gulping down her mead in a quick pace. In seven swigs she slammed her empty mug down, only to be greeted be a blonde king already patiently awaiting his next mug, unfazed. Slightly angered, upon the arrival of the next swig, Jagdwolf again gulped down in a quick pace only to once again be met with an already finished and unfazed king, while the heavy effects of the mead were already messing with her vision.

They continued for at least a good ten minutes, and fifteen empty mugs for each contestant sitting idly. Jagdwolf was swaying side to side, her eyes barely able to stay open, and her taunts were incomprehensible slurs. Her face was red, and her glare was not so threatening anymore. And all the while, Jaune still didn't feel anything from the fifteen mugs of mead. It was the same as when he was treated to a drink with Cinder back in Vale. Both contestants couldn't understand why the blonde was able to hold this much liquor, though it didn't stop the king from having fun with this situation.

His hands were slightly trembling, and his eyes were almost shutting down every second. He gently placed his palm against his forehead, "I feel somewhat faint." He stated.

Jagdwolf, believing this her victory, boasted too soon. "Ha! See, only true Visigoths can hold their liq..." The girl stopped almost immediately following a small hiccup, her body swayed side to side slowly before eventually falling backwards. Jaune grinned widely whilst holding another mug in the air. "I believe I've won." The soldiers in the bar cheered loudly, Jagdpanter glanced to his passed out granddaughter and his king. No doubt when she wakes up, she will want a rematch, but any sane person would know after this; you never challenge an Oni to a drinking contest, chances are either one of you will get drunk, or both of you will and the first to pass out will be you. In fact, he knew this out of his own experience. After the Germani-Romana civil war came to an end, the queen Oni held a banquet to mark the return of peace to Sera. The Tenko at the time or more easily identified: the mother of the current Tenko, challenged any willing person to a drinking contest. And if no one participated, she would just force someone at random. He, sadly, was one of the ones forced by the woman to drink until he did eventually pass out.

Throughout the rest of the night, the soldiers continued to drink to their hearts content, more so when returning soldiers from their posts joined in. The men and women huddled around the king, many sharing jokes and offering more drinks to their leader. Throughout the night there were songs sung, laughter exchanged amongst the bunch, and in the whole mess the blonde was, for a short time, no longer seen as the king, but as a fellow companion. Drunk, the soldiers were, but at the very least he was finally enjoying being in Sera. Minutes into this little gathering, Cerus and Nikolai arrived, both of which were dragged to the center of the hall and pressured into a drinking contest. Both brothers did not even hesitate to compete against the other. It was a festive night, though deep below the palace laid first the prisons, and then the catacombs. But for the moment, only two prisoners were kept within these walls. Both of which were separated, and both were there by choice.

Emerald's footsteps echoed in this vast, empty section of the palace. It was well kept, but rarely used. Her treads stopped in front of a cell guarded by four Praetorian soldiers. After what she read in the reports, they weren't exactly needed, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Once she gestured them to step aside, she opened the cell and entered. A small lit candle was all the light allowed in this room, the prisoner was facing away from Emerald, showing no movement upon a visitor entering her new domain. Her cloths were mere prisoner's rags, loose and torn by many ends. She was placed here after refusing an offer given to her by the head captain of the Praetorians.

"Hey, it's me." Emerald's voice made the prisoner flinch slightly. "I came to see you...I was worried when I heard about what happened." The prisoner showed no reaction. "Please, talk to me, Cinder." Emerald pleaded, what she received was a deathly glare from her former boss. The woman was recovered from the ruins in Vale. She was near death, but was saved by Laufeia per Cerus's orders. After she was partially healed, she was offered two options; face execution, or 8 years of imprisonment. None of which were appeasing, and she would've made hast and broke out had her powers not been suppressed. As of now, she was held prisoner of the kingdom Sera, dressed in rags and left to serve her sentence in almost complete solitude. Her once faithful subordinate was revealed to have been a soldier of this government. And then there was the issue with her recent partner and his...'outburst'. If this kingdom is where he originated from, Oum knows what else lurks amongst the populace. For that matter, Emerald might be one of them as well. Unbeknownst to her, how right she was. Either way, Cinder had no words to exchange with her former subordinate, nothing at all. Not only was she betrayed by Roman, but also by someone she thought she could trust. The two women sat in silence before Emerald rose up, "For what it's worth; I'm sorry." The minty-haired girl murmured, walking out of the cell without looking back. Meanwhile, Cinder was accepting that from now on her life was going to be dictated and watched over by this kingdom, but it was better than what the other four kingdoms would do if she was in their hands. Besides, eight years would pass quickly, there were no records of her criminal activities so she would have a clean start...and yet, what exactly would happen to her then? Would she be allowed to live free, or will her life end at the end of those eight years? Only time would tell.

-Next Day-

Morning arrives and the blonde king awakens with a splitting headache, alcohol may not affect him initially, but the after affects were all but subtle. As he arose from...his bed? Jaune didn't get drunk, but he was unaware of how he ended up back in his room. While unconsciously checking his surroundings, his hands caught hold of something soft and round. A small moan fully awoke the king, jumping straight out of bed the sheets went with him, revealing Jagdwolf with only undergarments, nary a top. She was snoring softly, awoken only when she felt a sudden instance of cold. Though, when her sight was greeted by a bare-chested blonde in pants, her eyes shot open. The room was drowned in an awkward silence; only until another cold breeze passed did Jagdwolf realize her missing sarashi. Her blush was mirroring that of Laufeia's eyes, and her aura was nearing the same murderous feeling. Luckily, for her, by the bedside was her weapon. She grasped the handle arose slowly from the bed whilst covering her bare cleavage. Her hair covered the top half of her face, though her blush was all but masked.

"You..." Was her warning as she lunged towards the blonde, Jaune barely ducking the swing that could've split him in two.

"W-w-wait! It's not what you think!" Jaune's words were nothing as Jagdwolf again charged at him, though this time her swing was faster. The blonde was dodging her attacks with each swipe growing ever closer to cutting its mark. Luck, as always, was never on Jaune's side as his hast to the door was halted by a hand gripping his shoulder and tossing him backwards, upon his landing, the boy was met with the tip of a blade near his neck. Though, the hostile glare of the bearer was more frightening at the moment. Her blush had vanished, replaced by it were eyes devoid of any sign of remorse. Yet, before she could act, four tentacles arose from the shadows, each grabbing hold of her wrists and legs. Exposing her bare chest, returning was her blush and a massive chill running up Jaune's spine.

"Aren't you two active this morning." Laufeia commented as she manifested herself from the shadows. "There weren't any extra beds so I placed the two of you in the same bed, but this isn't what I had in mind when you woke up. Then again, I didn't really think it through; I just thought it'd be funny." She stated with an eerie smile.

"L-l-lemme go!" Jagdwolf shouted, struggling to break from this girl's hold. The manner in which she tried breaking free was violent and hastily, to no avail. "...or at the very least cover me up." She lowered her head, her tone edged to begging. Laufeia, however, didn't ease her hold nor did she make an attempt to censor the girl's exposed body. Jaune on the other hand stood between Laufeia and Jagdwolf, glaring down his fellow blonde.

"Enough, let her go." He demanded. Laufeia frowned disappointingly, but did as she was told and released Jagdwolf. The girl fell, though covered herself nonetheless as soon as her hands were freed. A large train of thought passed through mind at this point. First she insulted the king, unknowingly, but still continued after the fact. Challenged him to a drinking contest and lost, although knowing what her grandfather told her, she assumed the possibility of him winning. But, attacking him after seeing her chest, yes it was a natural reaction, but through all the rigorous training she went through these past years, her emotions got the better of her and she was once again saved by the king, whom she vowed to never forgive for the death of her father. From the rumors around the guards about Laufeia, it is already assumed the worse if she ever got hold of someone who was a threat to the king or kingdom. Still, Jagdwolf attempted to put on a stern and strong impression for this visit, to prove her family's line was not completely full of shame. All of it was now in vain. And after this assault, no doubt she would be put to rest for treason. Or if there was any mercy, imprisoned for life. As she awaited her punishment with her head lowered, what she received was a blanket over her head. It wasn't big, but it was enough to cover herself. Confusingly, she raised her head to see a stern blonde, avoiding looking down on her. Jaune's attention was mainly on Laufeia, her eerie smile had vanished, replaced by a somewhat bored expression.

There was a loud knock on the door before it opened. "Jaune, I-" Emerald stopped short upon entering, her first sight were the two bare-chested individuals, next was Laufeia with her shadow tentacles wiggling about. Taking only a moment to make an assumption, blush intensely, and bow quickly "-didn't meant to intrude." Emerald attempted to leave quickly, but a hand gripped her shoulders tightly, turning slightly, she saw Jagdwolf smiling at her eerily. Her grip tightened as the open door would allow any passerby to make this misunderstanding even more complicated.

It took a while, yet with little effort to convince Emerald of what really happened. When she heard Laufeia was the cause of this, she easily believed it, though considering how much the two had to drink last night, it wouldn't have surprised her if Jaune and Jagdwolf actually got it on. Remembering what it was she came for, Emerald gestured the king to meet her outside. He was reluctant to leave Jagdwolf with Laufeia, but he honestly didn't have a choice in the matter. As he pondered what to do, having little to no patience, Emerald literally dragged him outside. Once the two were out of the room, Jagdwolf turned to Laufeia, the girl had reshaped her tentacles to hands. As she clasped her hands, they did the same. "Now then, let's get you dressed." Her smile was normal, but her tone indicated something completely unpleasant.

Outside, and luckily, no soul was about. Most of the guards were sleeping off the drinks from the night before, and those whom were stationed outside the king's door were respectfully asked to leave for a moment, per Emerald's orders.

"So, what's up?" The blonde asked, shivering slightly due to the fact that he was still shirtless. Emerald hesitated, but handed Jaune a small piece of paper.

"I request the release of a prisoner." She stated. Jaune was beginning to be skeptical of her sudden demand, though he gave her the courtesy of reading the request. Requesting the release of a prisoner with a king's pardon meant the crimes were either falsely accused, or severe. As the blonde read word for word, the name of the prisoner was perhaps the most surprising of this demand. Jaune glanced to Emerald, her expression indicated a sense of hope that he would allow her request to pass.

"Say I was to allow this request to pass, where will this person stay? How will she be maintained, or will we allow her to do as she pleases?" Jaune asked, testing Emerald to assure her actions weren't driven out of impulse.

"My mother owned a cottage in a village, in northern Cairo. As her only kin, I inherited the estate; the prisoner will be housed there. I have forged documents already, her status is; refugee from Zheng. Refugees who make it pass the borders tend to left alone. As for living maintenance, I live in this palace and am still payed for my services. My old man has also given me a good share of Floras over the years. I don't expect the prisoner to completely live off my money, but it is my fault she is suffering so much betrayal. The least I can do is give her a shred of kindness, and a new start in this kingdom." Emerald had everything planned, right down to housing, costs, and legal documentations. The blonde, rather than ask any more questions, and for this instance only, reentered his room used a quill to sign the release. He handed the paper to his cousin, whom was now smiling widely.

"Emerald." Jaune's sudden shift to coldness ceased the minty-haired girl's early celebration. "...this is the only time I'm ever doing this. Just make sure she behaves herself, or else." As much as his morality wanted to refuse this, Emerald had given up so much for him. As he noticed when with them, Cinder and Mercury were more family to her than her own father. And now she had the chance to give back after taking so much away. For this instance, Jaune allowed the release of Cinder Falls.

Meanwhile, after Emerald left with a wide grin, Laufeia and Jagdwolf emerged from the closet. Jagdwolf was wearing black frilly dress with a red sash adorned around her waist. The dress was decorated with vine-like designs, a V-shaped neckline, and an emblem similar to those used for the guard's shields on the stomach of the dress. For a slightly muscular girl, it almost made her look more feminine. Jagdwolf was blushing lightly, mainly for the fact that this was her first time wearing such a ridiculous outfit. The blonde was amazed how well the dress fit her.

"Uh...why is this in your wardrobe?" Jagdwolf asked. The very question snapped the older blonde's attention to a whistling younger blonde avoiding contact. Again, Jaune's dignity once again shattered. At this point, the shattering was more along the lines of grinding to dust.

-Palace Prison-

Although it was her subordinate's fault for being in this prison, Cinder held no qualms towards Emerald. After all, there was a time she told both the young girl and Mercury to always follow through with any commitment they ever made regardless of what the order entailed them to do, but knowing Emerald, Cinder had the silver-haired boy remind the girl constantly. Still, when she awoke in a hospital bed with both a small platoon of soldiers and a man by the name of Cerus to greet her, visions of public execution was almost a reality. She could've faced the first option, but if she was being held her in this prison for only eight years, she could serve her sentence and live a new life in this kingdom. Judging by the makeup of this prison, and the technology of the guards, they were clearly far behind the other kingdoms. Perhaps, she could find an odd job after her release; farming, trade, maybe something peaceful for once. It all depended how events went. And it began now, the locks to her cell were opened, entering was Cerus with a rolled up scroll in his hand. He handed it to Cinder, the woman cautiously accepted it.

"By order of our king, your prison sentence has been revoked, and a new order has been passed on your fate." Cerus stated stoically. Cinder's hopes suddenly dropped, was this karma finally catching up to her? Was this paper her execution orders?

"In the name of Alaric Arktos, king of Sera, you, Cinder Falls, are hereby cleared of any crime. The king has granted you your freedom at the request of captain Emerald Sustrai." The initial reaction was an awkward silence, followed by an almost audible sigh of relief. So, the child was a captain in this army? At the very least, Cinder still had contacts in high places, though she'd never call on Emerald after this. Grateful she was, but nothing would forgive her betrayal. Still, she was grateful for being released.

"Also per the king's orders, you will be moved to the Cairo province, a carriage has been assigned to transport you to your new home, also provided by captain Emerald Sustrai." Cerus explained. "Here, put these on. It'll suit you better than those rags." The captain of the Praetorian handed to Cinder a sleeveless crimson shirt and black pants made from the same material. Cotton? Silk? She couldn't quite make the exact material, but for the moment she didn't complain.

Upon redressing, three guards escorted her out of the prison, which was quite the hike just for the staircase. She couldn't count how many flights of stairs she climbed just to reach the surface, though when exposed to the sunlight, her initial reaction was to withdraw back into the dungeon. Before her was a city populated with humans, Faunus, and Grimm, all of which living amongst one another with nary a problem. For one second, Cinder believed she was actually dead until Cerus reemerged from behind and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Welcome to Sera, citizen."

Sera? That name was familiar, if her memory served correctly from the countless hours combing through Schnee encrypted files; Sera was the name of an ancient empire that ruled the entire world for a time before collapsing. It was said to have been led by a fourth race that supposedly died off during the collapse of the empire, so is this what remained of that civilization? While those questions swam in her mind, Cerus handed a few papers to Cinder.

"These are your passports, you're permitted to travel anywhere in Sera, however I advise you to take heed and keep the details of your origins a secret. Should the people discover you're an outsider, I'm afraid your life will revert to what it was in the rest of Remnant; constantly running and hiding." Cerus explained as Cinder examined her papers. At last, a chance to forget about her past and start over. It's the sort of cliché most people expect, but when the opportunity is there for the taking, many who've crossed the line would be thankful for any form of forgiveness. Not all of course, but Cinder was of the few who wanted a peaceful life after all the pain life has thrown at her. The carriage pulled up, it was slightly boxed and bland. Just a wooden box with seats and fashioned with wheels pulled by two horses. Only two soldiers seemed to have been assigned to be her escort.

One guard opened the carriage door and gestured her to enter. Before entering, a hand grasped Cinder's shoulder. She turned one last time to see the captain of the Praetorians.

"For what it's worth, I thank you for all you've done for my daughter." Rather than wait for a response, Cerus and his guards retreated back into the palace. Cinder, however, was now somewhat thankful for this gift, a new start, a new life; finally Oum was smiling down on her. Unbeknownst to her, watching her be carried away from afar, Laufeia followed the carriage carefully. The words Jaune gave her played beautifully in her head.

_'__Keep a close eye on this prisoner, should she slip up in any way…deal with her. The last thing I need is another insurrection.' _

The king's words were never so cold and demanding. But, this woman was useful in many ways, especially rallying people to a cause, and if given the opportunity, Laufeia would make Cinder an asset to the crown, or devour her with nary a second thought.

**Yes! Boom! Another story that has waited too long for a chapter finally updated. Sorry for the lag, but on another note, please enjoy both your summer and the many stories updated recently. (I know I am) Thank you for reading, until next time.**


	14. Exchanging hands

**Wow this is long overdue, I'm so sorry for such a long delay you guys, the writer's block on this story was something else. This may feel short, but those that follow will have more to them. Also, keep in mind this story was created on the premise of the first volume, and some of the second volume, so some characters will seem out of…well, character, but hey, it's a fanfic. And without further delay, the next chapter…**

A few hours after her release, Cinder watched the carriage pass many smaller settlements, farms, and villages. The guards made a few stops, surprisingly; they were polite and asked her if she wanted to spread her legs for a bit. Though, they did keep a close eye on her. Along with the papers Cerus gave her, she was given a map of the kingdom. According to these guards, she was ordered to be transported to Cairo, an eastern province. The whole place was mostly desert, but there were many notable landmarks and locations where water and patches of vegetation could be found. To make their trip somewhat livelier the soldiers spoke to her, asking a variety of questions, all of which were ones Cerus explicitly told her to withhold. They spoke of the land her papers claimed she escaped from; Zheng. Apparently there was an ongoing conflict raging in that province and little to no refugees arrive at the border, let alone cross it. Cinder answered their questions with as limited information as she could give, and clearly she had no idea what conflict they were speaking about. As they neared the border to the Germani province, Cinder could see a few outlines moving about in the depths of the forest.

"So, what exactly did you do to get jailed in the palace prisons? Can't just be 'cause you're a refugee. Besides that, where are you from; Hun Gar, Shanyu? Or one of the southern cities?" One of the guards asked while lying against the roof of the carriage.

Cinder was unsure how to answer as she didn't exactly know the answer to that question either. Everything was happening so fast, her mind could barely comprehend the existence of the mythical Oni, let alone an entire society run by them.

"Leave er' alone, was probably a mistake. Being stuck down there wit da Shadow is punishment 'nough for anyone." The soldier driving nudged his partner to leave her be, though the mentioning of a prisoner called Shadow was a surprise. Mainly because in her time there, she believed herself to be the only one down there beside the guards.

"What's the Shadow?" She asked, hoping for an answer.

The two glanced to her with widened eyes, unable to believe she had yet to see the Shadow. The driver glanced to his partner, and then to the road. The second guard began the story.

"It's kind of hard to answer that, what we know is based on rumors spread by the other guards about...something, living in the catacombs beside the prisons. A creature known only for the manner in which it hunts and appears." Cinder felt a deadly chill run up her spine, to think she was in the same domain as this thing. The way they described it was like a story told around a campfire to scare the young. As the carriage was beginning to pass a dense forest, the soldier continued his tale.

"To be honest, it still isn't clear why it was sealed down there in the first place, but I remember overhearing the Tenko say that it devoured..."

"You speak too much." The new voice appeared from behind them. The men jumped in fear when they saw the very creature they spoke of sitting carelessly above the carriage. Laufeia was slightly glaring at the two soldiers, Cinder had a near heart attack when she heard the newcomer. Especially because she heard it before, only it was back in Vale, and it belonged to Jaune's associate.

"And don't you look lovely." Laufeia poked her head down to see Cinder with a frightened expression. "You should be grateful, you could have easily been sent to the catacombs. Oh, but we could've been such friends." Unknown to Cinder, her body was trembling every second her eyes remained in contact with the young Oni.

Laufeia sat upright and glanced to the forest.

"Ma'am, pardon me saying, but why are you here?" The first guard asked, only to later regret it when he received a small glare from the young blonde.

"That is none of your business. More importantly, who has been spreading this 'shadow' nonsense?" The carriage was about to cross the Germani border when a tracer round hit the driver; a rocket propelled grenade was launched, hitting the ground just beside the carriage, flipping it over. Part of the carriage was burned, Cinder was thrown just over a small thicket. As she rose up, she saw the second guard hit multiple times before collapsing unto the ground. Laufeia was slightly confused before a tracer hit directly between her eyes. Cinder quickly hid behind a nearby tree, once the firing stopped, the source of the gunfire appeared from their hiding spots. They walked towards the destroyed carriage and searched the wreckage. They seemed disappointed after combing through the burned wood and moving the dead bodies about. Bandits most likely, though they seemed more mission oriented than random attackers. The way they stayed to analyze the scene after realizing there wasn't any valuables to loot. As Cinder attempted to escape, she stepped on a twig. The snap caught the attention of the attackers; their rifles were now aimed at the source of the sound. Cinder panicked, she couldn't summon her semblance, and she had no weapons. As the small group began closing in, the sound of ripping flesh kept them from advancing further. Cinder glanced back to the soldiers, to her horror she saw Laufeia, completely unharmed, and beside her were shadow-like tentacles. One was holding the dismembered upper half of one of the bandits. The others quickly reacted and began shooting all of their rounds at her. Sadly, none of their efforts showed promise as the girl nearly grinned and preceded to ripping each of them piece by piece. Their deaths were loud, filled with pain, and extremely slow. What she did during the dismemberment was more gruesome to those witnessing it; she ate the body parts. By the time she reached the last bandit, the small Oni's lower jaw, arms, and chest were drenched in blood. The last bandit dropped her weapon and held her hands up. The blood of her fallen comrades stained her hands and face; she made a desperate attempt to stay alive.

"S-stop, please! I surrender, I'll tell you anything you wa-" before she could finish, her arms were violently torn off. Her screams drowned the forest as she slowly bled out on the floor. Laufeia smiled amusingly at the dying girl before her shadows viciously devoured her body.

"It's fine sweetheart, I've got all the answers I needed from your friends." She replied while licking her lips, satisfied with her feast. Per her natural abilities, the memories of all she devoured became her own, thus she knew who was behind the attack. Almost immediately her grin vanished as her shadows dashed to the nearby bushes and caught hold of Cinder. The woman was about to scream, fearing the same fate as those before, though she was silenced as it was not the shadows, but Laufeia's hand over her mouth.

"Quiet, I'm not going to kill you. Believe me, I'd like to do other things, but I'm restricted at the moment." Her grin returned, although now it was more perverted than anything. The sounds of shouting men stopped their conversation from progressing.

"There are more of them." The shadow's dropped Cinder and began cloaking Laufeia. "My uncle has sealed your powers, and i don't exactly trust you with a weapon. So run, I don't care where, but don't stop. Also, don't think you can escape me, I'll be watching you from the shadows, anywhere and everywhere." The young Oni warned before dashing to the source of the sounds. Cinder wasted no time getting up and running south. As she ran, the screams of those the Oni was devouring filled her ears. A quick glance back, she noticed the last victim Laufeia devoured still had a part of her torso and left arm intact. On it was a black tattoo of a dragon with its heart pierced by a katana. She wanted to give whatever was left of the girl a proper burial, but she feared what would happen if she disobeyed the Oni. And so, she ran, and she didn't stop for anyone or anything.

Even now, she still couldn't believe such a creature existed. To kill with so little remorse, and to devour them for fun, the beings of this kingdom were ones the woman would've never thought of encountering in her weakened state. Cinder ran for what seemed like an eternity through an endless forest, dodging and running into branches. Finally her luck paid off as she found the exit to the forest, though what followed would negate that feeling of luck. Once she reached the clearing, a shield bashed her head, causing the woman to landed on the the ground. A few shadows huddled over her, she gazed up, though with the sun in her eyes she could not determine who was looking down on her, but all the same, she was frightened. Of the all things she's seen in her lifetime, nothing could've prepared her for something along the lines of Laufeia. This girl was eating these people as if it was a sport for her enjoyment. But as of now, whoever found her would determine what became of her.

Within a large chamber, a map of the Seran Kingdom was imprinted on a stone table in the middle of the chamber. Cerus, the other six captains of the royals forces, and Jaune surrounded the map, small flags were placed on separate locations in a particular section. The blonde King glanced to the outlined province; Zheng. His captains murmured silently to themselves, possibly coming up with separate ideas of how to deal with the rumors and remaining rebels. Jaune cleared his throat, gaining the attention from his soldiers and beginning the briefing.

"So, where do we stand on Zheng?"

One captain stood forward. "Sir, as far as we know there are eight major cities still standing since the end of the civil war; Shanyu, Bagua, Liang, Hun Gar, Shaolin, Xheng, and Northern Shaolin. Hun Gar and Shanyu are the last intact cities residing in the north. Hun Gar is believed to be occupied by the Jiangshi, but there is no confirmation. Northern Shaolin is, in a literal sense, a gateway from the north to the south in the Jianmen mountain pass. And Xheng is the current capital of Zheng, population last estimates over a million civilians, again, there is no confirmation. Shanyu resides a few miles away from Northern Shaolin, and from the scattered reports we managed to pick up on, the Loyalists are in an ongoing skirmish against the residents of the city. It is unconfirmed whether they are allied with the Jiangshi or not."

Another stood forward and gestured to a flag placed between a mountain pass, presumably, Northern Shaolin. "It will be easy to take control of the north, but if we wish to move soldiers into the south, we'll need to hold Northern Shaolin."

Jaune's expression shifted, his eyes fell on the province. Most of the northern land was barren, only a few dense forests near the border were left untouched. The south wasn't any different, but there were still plenty of fields left for farming. "So then tell me, captain, how should we go about taking the city without going to war against the current factions?"

The captain, like his comrades, had no answer. All they could go on were theories and guesses, but without a voice from within the province itself they stood no chance taking it back. Worst would be if the rumors of the Loyalists were true, then the blonde would have to settle the problem either through whatever form of diplomacy available, or war.

The meeting went on for another two hours with no definite plans or agreeable actions. As much as Jaune wanted to march an army into Zheng, all he could send were troops with no moral or faith in their new king. Both the Loyalists and the Jiangshi were driven by a cause, which makes them more than willing to tread the path of death against the kingdom. To his luck, there was the Haku Temple, a traditional neutral zone for leaders wishing to resolve a conflict. But then there was the risk of an ambush, leading to further conflict. On top of that, in the event that his uncle's talk of rumors turned out to be fact, then the Loyalists were indeed war criminals, giving the blonde two rebel factions to deal with. Politics was proving to be a great challenge and annoyance for the blonde, though as the meeting came to an end and his intentions to relax for the afternoon, Cerus stood before his nephew, behind him entered Mei, Marcus, and Wadjet. They all stared at one another, nodded silently and turned to their king.

"Jaune, we've all reached a unanimous decision as you've asked; if you truly have the interest of all whom live under your rule, then do what must be done. But, we believe the records of each soldier should be shown only to their families, and those of their victims." Cerus explained. While the blonde didn't exactly believe they had made a clear decision the day after he asked them to think it through, he decided to further his plans and have the files sent straight to the courts of Florentiae. He could already feel the heated populace and his soldiers ready to commit mutiny. Many would see his actions as a leader who cared nothing for his soldiers, which was wrong; he did care for his warriors, but these criminals were not soldiers and would be tried according to the law. Loyalties and the concept of morality will put this society to the test; whether the people truly wanted a just King, or only interested in their self-interests. Hopefully, the latter would not have too much truth in it and lead the kingdom into another inner conflict.

On that same day, Jaune sat in his throne, his ears drowned by the angered citizens outside his palace's walls. Or more correctly, the families of the soldiers imprisoned for their crimes during the civil war. He knew something like this would happen, but now would be the time to wait and see if his soldiers would turn on him as well. A small gathering of praetorian guards walked into the throne room with their swords drawn, fearing the worse, the blonde prepared for treason. Though, he was shown no ill expression, they kneeled a few feet away from the blonde.

"My king, the people grow restless and might take action. Rest assured we will stand with you, our loyalty is to the crown alone." A female soldier declared. While this sudden declaration gave the blonde a sense of ease, the minds of hisd soldiers would need to have a sense of doubt, even towards him at times.

"Then you are fools." Jaune's tone was stoic, and it caught his soldiers by surprise. "Like my predecessors, I will face the problems of my homeland head-on, those who would fight with me have but two duties; to serve and protect the people. Your loyalty is admirable, but there might be a time my emotions dictate my orders, actions that, perhaps, will border the same level as those arrested today. Will you still stand with a hypocrite then?" The soldiers were unable to respond properly, mainly due to the fact that they believed they were being tested. Their king did give them permission to go against him if he threatened the lives of his people, but, what of now, of those outside the palace walls? Emerald rushed inside, stopping a few feet away from Jaune. "It's ready."

The blonde arose from his throne and gave his guards their orders. "Go to the gates and assure the speakers are on. And not a single blade or rifle drawn against the people, understood?" His glare to them was more than enough to receive a quick nod as they left to complete their orders. It wasn't a need-to-learn issue when an Oni gave an order.

Emerald led the blonde to a room with technology similar to that of Vale's, though there weren't many panels or equipment, rather more wiring than anything. "This is a broadcasting room? And it branches the entire kingdom? Kinda convenient wouldn't you agree?" He asked skeptically.

"Well, Uncle Niko says we haven't used this since the civil war, essentially, this room is used for emergency broadcasts for the entire kingdom. There are local broadcasts, but this one can overlap the local system. But to be honest, I'm not sure if it will reach the whole kingdom anymore, let alone Zheng. In all honesty, we're probably two tiers below the technological level Vale is at." Emerald commented while adjusting the broadcast to go out to all the public speakers in the provinces. It took a few more seconds before she turned on the system. Although, given the fact that the tech in this room had yet to be used since the end of the uprising, getting started proved more complicated and annoying than predicted. This little project of theirs was being done without the Tenko or Cerus's knowledge, meaning they'd have to make this quick. Otherwise their broadcast would be cut short. Earlier, Cerus made it clear that Jaune had to keep his identity a secret, but with the kingdom at its current state, it would sooner fall apart before he officially took the throne. Once all was set, the green-haired girl gave her cousin a thumb up.

Jaune was hesitant for a moment before speaking to his kingdom. _"People of Sera, hear my voice and listen."_ The speakers, from the capital city to the islands of Sendai broadcasted, gaining a great number of ears and giving the war-torn cities with barely working speakers an excuse to cease fire. _"In these dark days the outside world is plunged into yet another era of darkness, a new struggle is drowning all, whether they fight or not. But do not think of us as the exception for we too are trapped in an endless fight. Though, when it is within our power to act, whether late or small, we can mend the bonds that once kept us at peace."_

The small gathering of people outside the palace walls had stopped their yelling, this was not the usual voice that would spat nonsense on normal bases, many kept their silence as they were curious as to what this known had to say.

_"Today, those arrested by the Royal guards were done so because of their actions during the war, say what you will, deny what you want, the truth will always be truth. Those of you who stand outside the palace gates; would you so eagerly defend these men when you know not of their deeds? Continue protesting and chanting to your ignorant heart's content, but when you feel the curiosity to enlighten yourselves, the evidence of their atrocities will be for your viewing. I will do what is necessary to protect all who live under my rule, which includes the people living in Zheng. Justice does not apply to a single group; it applies to all in Sera. To those who listened to a young king's ranting, I thank you for your time." _

And with that he gave Emerald the signal to cut the broadcast. The chanting somewhat stopped, though now the problem were people refusing to leave without seeing their new king, to assure that the throne was indeed claimed. This was the first time they heard their new king's voice, let alone realize that he had finally taken power. While Nikolai tried his best to keep the people from becoming too unrestful, the Tenko was fuming when she discovered what her grandson had done. Her plan was to deal with the unrest in Zheng first and then announce her kin to the throne. She had hoped to avoid the risk of losing him in the midst of the war. Regardless, now the entire kingdom knew that the king had risen to power, and that the Oni, with the death of the entire council, was now ruling with absolute authority. Some would protest this, mainly because the kingdom operated under a constitutional monarchy, the monarch having only absolute control of the army and little influence in social issues. Others were willing to see how this would play out, especially since progress didn't exactly make headway under the leadership of the council.

Within the throne room, Jaune sat on the throne with Emerald standing next to him, both were somewhat uneasy. When the Tenko realized what they had done, she stormed the throne room and nearly burst with anger over her grandson's actions. Though, even with her ranting, the young blonde's expression didn't change from its stoic mode. Thus, further angering the Tenko.

"Do you not understand that there are those within our own city, within our controlled territories that want your head. We Oni lost our popularity when Cerus was dethroned, but because of this land's traditional stance we have kept our place as head of the kingdom. With the ongoing conflict and the radical groups that oppose the Oni, you've put our family's fate on the line! And it will not be uncoordinated, predictable attacks, I can guarantee you that!"

Jaune arose from his seat and stared at his grandmother. "I know they will come to challenge me, but I will not turn away from the cries of my people. So, I will answer the call of whoever be it that threatens my home. If you didn't think I would be capable of fending for myself, then you shouldn't have made me king. I will mask my face until the unrest in Zheng is dealt with, but something will be done! If all you and my generals do is debate, then I shall act!" Finishing his declaration, he turned away from her and gestured to the main door. "We're done, leave." The Tenko glared at her grandson, but left nonetheless. Once she slammed the doors in her leave, Jaune sat back down and turned to Emerald.

"You know..." He started with a small chuckle. "...you're old man sugar-coated the idea of living here. He said people lived peacefully and willingly under the rule of our family...that's a bunch of bullshit." The blonde ended with a small laughter.

"Well, he has been away for a long time...but, I can smack him around for you if you want, it'd be a pleasure." Emerald offered with her own sense of humor.

"I doubt you'd need me to tell you it's ok to kill your dad."

The two teens laughed loudly, it eased the tension of what just occurred, but now Jaune would have to plan out what to do with an idea for a truce he thought of with his generals. Given the others ideas they had for a 'peaceful' compromise, this was perhaps the only one with no bloodshed...or at least, he hoped.

A small figure emerged from a shadow nearby, the two had an idea as to who it was, but were momentarily shocked when Laufeia appeared drenched in blood. She wasn't smiling, but at the same time wasn't bothered by the fluids she was soaked in.

"I'm back." She stated stoically. "Did you miss me?"

"Not necessarily." Jaune responded, somewhat curious as to how she ended up like this. Knowing her, this was bound to happen, though what led up to that circumstance was of real importance. "What happened to you?"

"The carriage carrying the recently released prisoner was assaulted. The escorts were killed, but I made sure the woman escaped. After enjoying myself with the attackers, I gave the escorts a proper burial. If the woman continued heading south, she should be crossing Zheng's borders by now." She stated while licking the blood off her hand in the same manner a cat would clean itself.

"What?!" Emerald shouted.

To which Laufeia rolled her eyes in annoyance, though, as she reexplained, she rubbed her stomach, satisfied with her meal. "The carriage was attacked, and with the escorts dead I decided to help myself to the bandits by ripping..."

"No, no, I heard that part the first time." Emerald mumbled, pressing her palm against her head. "I want to know why you let Cinder go." She mumbled, irritated that she left the woman with nothing more than two simple soldiers. What's more, when this little thing had the ability to do something, instead she chooses to let Cinder run, and end up in a war torn province.

"Did you at least learn anything from the attack?" Jaune asked, ignoring the girl's manner of cleaning herself of blood. While he was somewhat concerned about Cinder, his priority was ensuring the safety of his kingdom.

"Actually I did, and you'll be surprised to know what group those bandits belonged to." Laufeia cooed. She walked over to Jaune and whispered in his ear. The older blonde's eyes dilated for a mere second before pressing his fingers against his forehead. The manner in which he received Laufeia's report gave him a major headache.

"This proves Cerus' theory, but now the prospect of finding allies in Zheng will be harder than expected." Jaune mumbled.

"Care to fill me in?" Emerald asked.

The blonde arose from his throne. "Later, but right now is our time to act, before the war of Remnant reaches our shores, we must first be ready as one kingdom. Emerald, send word to the generals; within a month, if there is no peace in Zheng, there will be war." The minty-haired girl hesitated for a split second before quickly bowing, and rushing towards the general's quarters to deliver the blonde king's message. Once she was gone, Jaune turned to the blood-drenched Oni.

"Lulu..."

"Hmm?" She cooed, tilting her head left and awaiting Jaune's words.

"Go to Zheng..." The blonde held his tongue, no doubt Laufeia would accomplish any reconnaissance mission he gave her, but there was the risk of Cinder falls using her wits to create another troublesome group for him to deal with. Having Laufeia keep a constant eye on the woman would only be a waste, and the child would bore easily. Instead, the blonde had a different idea of how his cousin could be of use to him. "...and give _them_ my regards." He uttered with a faint grin.

The small one's lips formed into a wolfish grin, the bloodlust in her eyes could not be any less radiant. Her shadows began to once again envelope her, though just before leaving to do her job, she exchanged words with her cousin. "And the woman?"

"If her hands draw the blood of my people, you will tell me and I will have Emerald do away with her, slowly." The blonde responded with a bitter cold tone in his voice.

Laufeia grinned wider as her body vanished with her shadows. "Take heed, my king, your words are becoming as dark as the creatures we've claimed to tame." Her last words echoed in the chamber as the girl had disappeared, leaving Jaune alone. The young Oni had a nugget of truth, but pacifism would only take a kingdom so far. If he was to return to Remnant, then he would do so with an army of humans, Faunus, and Grimm. But first, Sera needed to be united, and rebuilt. And him? The blonde remembered all the power he gained in Vale, none of it was his own, nor did he earn it. Behind the back of Cerus, Jaune asked his uncle Nikolai for a simple favor; to seal his power. Although a foolish action, for the blonde, it was an act of repentance. And a manner that allowed him to hone and perfect his own abilities before using any form of stolen or mimicked powers. Only one was still at his disposal, as it is a power he has trained in, mastered, and treasures above all else; shadows.

**-Meanwhile, in Zheng- **

A ray of sunshine and the rusted turning of wagon wheels awoke Cinder from her slumber. She rose up in haste, though as she did, she felt chains holding her down. Her vision was blurry for a split second before she managed to glance at her surroundings. She was chained to the floor of a carriage, with her were others dressed in ragged and dirty tunics. Ten prisoners were chained by both their wrists and ankles alongside one another in this carriage as it drove them to an unknown fate. Those with Cinder all kept their heads low, silent as the carriage neared a village not too far from view.

"Hey..." A prisoner beside her whispered. Cinder turned to the unknown next to her, a girl probably around her age, short ocean blue hair, pale skin, and violet eyes were her distinctive features. "Haven't seen your face before, what's your name?" She asked her voice hoarse and somewhat deep for her age.

"C-Cinder." She answered.

"Yoshika." The girl gave her name, a small gesture for a yet unknown purpose. "From where do you hail?" She asked as the sounds of clanking metal and companies of soldiers marched about the settlement. Cinder glanced around and noticed two other carriages carrying more prisoners. From where? That has yet to be seen.

She turned her attention back to Yoshika, and was unsure how to answer, for she didn't want to reveal her origins, nor did she know so much about this province as to best answer her question. Thinking back to the questions her escorts asked a while ago, she spouted the first word that came to mind. "Shanyu." The prisoners all glanced to her, some with scowls, others with sympathy. Yoshika showed no reaction, rather, she faintly grinned. "I see, good, remember your home, especially now."

"Why?"

The carriages stopped, the doors to opened, and soldiers began to unchain the prisoners.

"For today, we shall ascend to a new home; the realm of Oum." Yoshika responded as she and Cinder were dismounted from the carriage, lined with the others in front of a chopping block, cleaned and ready with its executioner. "Although, I would've preferred dying with my sword in hand..." She mumbled. Cinder was not as calm, however. First she was granted a new life and freedom, but now she was indeed doomed for an execution. A man armored in plated steel approached from a large tent, beside him was a woman in a crimson hooded robe. The armored man gestured his soldiers towards Yoshika, two soldiers grabbed the chained woman and brought her before their leader. Her faint grin remained, though his expression formed into disgust.

"Yoshika." His words dripped with venom. "Finally, you shall be held accountable for your crimes. Your traitorous Jiangshi rebellion has come to an end." He announced, his soldiers all shared a small moment of rejoice as their civil war had finally come to an end. Though, Yoshika chuckled lightly, annoying the leader of this faction.

"I sense irony and hypocrisy in your words." She commented. The armored men growled, though restrained himself and glanced to the hooded woman.

"Give them their last writs." He ordered, allowing the woman to approach the prisoners and holding her arms up in the same manner a priestess would.

"Forgiveness and mercy upon these souls, blessings of the trinities guide you in your trials upon your passing-"

"For the love of Oum, just shut your mouth already!" One of the prisoners shouted as he willingly approached the block. The priestess was annoyed, though did as the man wished and held her tongue as the man was bent and positioned on the block. As the executioner raised his blade, the man shut his eyes and shouted his last words. "My ancestors smile upon me today, Loyalists!" The axe came down swiftly, severing the man's head. As it rolled off, the armored man used his leg to push the body aside. He turned to the rest of the prisoners and noticed Cinder shivering. She was obviously not one of the captured soldiers, per her nearly torn red tunic, so begged the question; who is she?

"And this one?" He asked. One of his soldiers approached him with a folded letter in hand.

"Captain, she is a refugee from Shanyu, we caught her near the border with this letter. Also, the squadrons we placed there have all been reported missing, she was found near their last known location."

The captain glanced to Cinder, then to the folded envelope. "Shanyu, huh?" He mumbled. The man gave some though into it before he stuffed the letter in his armor and gestured his soldiers to bring her to the block. Initially, she refused, and put up a bit of a struggle. Eventually, Cinder was contained and positioned on the block. In a mere instance, her entire life flashed before her eyes, again. This was punishment for her actions in Remnant, she wanted to change the world and rebuild it anew. How she went about it was perhaps what led to this situation. This was not how she envisioned her end, nor did she want to die just yet. But at this moment, her powers were sealed, and she had no means of escape. This is, truly, the end of Cinder Falls.

From afar, Laufeia watched as the executioner was prepared to carry out his orders and kill Falls. While she had no orders to protector the woman, nor did she have any desire to do so, she knew Emerald would chew her out if she didn't try at least. Being an Oni had its advantages; one such was manipulating the Grimm, even the most faithful companions. As an added bonus, each province held one unique Grimm that is often untamable, and extremely difficult to defeat. With a wolfish grin, Laufeia used her influence to possess a Ryujin, a dragon-like Grimm. As the axe was ready to come down, she silently summoned the beast, it's descent from the heavens gave it a holy entrance, though upon landing on the ground, the beast engulfed the Loyalists soldiers in flames. The attack brought the entire village into mass panic, though as the soldiers attempted to retaliate, their Grimm suddenly turned on them. Within a few minutes, nearly half of the Loyalist army stationed here was wiped out. In the midst of the confusion, Cinder rose up from the block, though was still restrained. She wanted to run, but found herself in awe at the sheer willpower of the Ryujin. A hand grabbed hers and quickly unchained her. Yoshika and her rebels freed themselves and took the weapons of the fallen soldiers. The Grimm attack, oddly, was mainly aimed at the Loyalists, allowing civilians to run freely without risk of being attacked, and the rebels the chance to escape. The small group made their way to the village entrance, currently flooded with people trying to escape the carnage. As Cinder and the small group of Jiangshi left the city, the woman caught glimpse of a young blonde girl with bloody Crimson eyes, standing between the massacre and smiling. The very sight gave the former crime-boss chills.

"Scatter, regroup at Peony!" Yoshika yelled, her rebels nodded and scattered with the civilians as they all entered the forest. The Loyalists attempted to recapture the rebels, but were either fighting off the Grimm, or deterred by the stampeding civilians. Luckily, no one noticed Cinder and Yoshika depart from the main group. Their run continued for nearly an hour before Cinder's legs could go no further. The two took small moment of rest to regain their energy, and while they would not run, Yoshika insisted the two continue if they wished to reach the nearest rebel camp.

Cinder followed this woman, if only due to the fact that she was saved by her and her rebels. And there wasn't an extreme urge to return to those '_Loyalists_'. The sun had set when the silence between them finally broke. Their walk was silent after agreeing to go to Yoshika's camp, though; the woman mourned the loss of her fallen brethren, presumably from a previous battle that led to her capture. Cinder had many questions to ask but not kept to herself for the time being.

"We're nearing Peony, stay close." Yoshika kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, meanwhile, Cinder was thinking of her past, all the things she did before meeting Jaune. Prior to her dealings with him, she achieved her goals on her own accord, and did so with no regrets or mercy. Yet, today, her life was in the hands of another, and if not for that sudden Grimm, her life would've ended for sure this time. The many attempts prior were mere misses, one was actually a pardon, but this last one was not out of luck. That girl, Laufeia, was keeping an eye on her. It was obvious the Oni had a plan for her; otherwise she would've been allowed to die today. What that plan is remains a mystery.

"We're here." Cinder's train of thoughts ended when Yoshika told her of their arrival. Though, as she was ready to finally relax, what her eyes laid upon next would haunt her for dreams to come. An entire open field, barren, stained with black and red, and filled with either bodies left to rot from previous battles, or new ones being picked off by the crows. The gore, the faces of the dead soldiers, the stench was the least of her worries, this entire field was filled to the brim with death.

"What is this?" Cinder managed to mutter before covering her mouth as the foul stench had entered her mouth.

With a grim expression, Yoshika gestured to her homeland. "This is a war that should've ended long ago. Perhaps I should properly introduce myself. I am Yoshika, leader of the Jiangshi rebels." The woman made a small gesture over her head. Initially, confusing Cinder, until a small battalion of soldiers emerged from the forest, dressed in leather and lightly armored tunics dyed purple. From the fields arose a few others wielding long range rifles aimed at Cinder, their grimm partners stood beside them with wary growls. One soldier approached from the woods and handed a single-edged curved blade to his leader. Yoshika removed it from its sheath and aimed the tip at Cinder's neck. "And now, you're our prisoner, Cinder of Shanyu."

**What a cliffhanger, sorry it has to end so short, but at least it ends with a parody of something most rpg players can recognize and, hopefully, enjoy. If you don't know, the reference is the beginning part of Skyrim. Anyways, to those who read my stories, this notice will come with their AN too, but as of late, life has really taken its toll on me. School is tough enough, but with a recent break up, and family issues, the chapters will take slightly longer to come up, but I promise they'll be longer, and, hopefully, worth it. For now, thank you all for reading, until next time. **


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